Two construction workers from West Bengal died due to alleged acute diarrheal disease after drinking water at their workplace in Pallikaranai, while 25 others took ill on Monday.
The workers — Sukumar Dudu (21) and Lalchand (24) — were declared brought dead to the Chromepet Government Hospital and the Government Royapettah Hospital. The cause of death will only be confirmed after a post-mortem examination.
Sources said that over 25 workers have taken ill with symptoms of vomiting and diarrhoea and have been admitted to various private hospitals in the area. Sources at Chettinad and Global Hospitals confirmed that patients had been admitted to their hospitals.
Dean of Chettinad Hospital K. Ravindran said that 20 persons from the site had been admitted in the early hours on Tuesday, but were discharged in the evening after undergoing treatment.
Official sources at the Chennai Corporation said that as soon as reports of seven patients being admitted in a Pallikaranai hospital reached them on Monday, public health officials visited the construction site where 450 workers resided, and checked the water for the presence of chlorine.
However, they found that the water, which had been procured from a private tanker supplier, did not contain chlorine. They conducted a health check for all workers, sprinkled chlorine and prescribed prophylactic drugs for those with symptoms. The builder was asked to provide clean drinking water and medicines, maintain sanitary conditions at the site and remove food waste.
On Tuesday, the Corporation issued a notice under the Tamil Nadu Public Health Act asking the builder to vacate the site.
It also checked the water quality of other houses in the neighbourhood.
