Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Thursday announced a compensation of ₹5 lakh to the family of Kanakaraju, a 22-year-old youth, who died after consuming contaminated water at K. Salundi village near Mysuru.
“The youth died due to consuming contaminated water. The lapse on the part of the officials responsible for supplying safe drinking water to the village has led to the incident. Some officials, including the chief officer of the Bogadi Town Panchayat have been placed under suspension over the incident,” the Chief Minister said, after visiting K. Salundi village and consoling the family of the deceased.
K. Salundi comes under Jayapura hobli in Mysuru taluk and a part of Chamundeshwari Assembly constituency.
On humanitarian grounds, the Chief Minister has assured the family members of providing a job to Ravi, the brother of the deceased.
Mr. Siddaramaiah warned that he would suspend even the higher officials, including the chief executive officers (CEOs) of the zilla panchayats if such a lapse occurred again and contaminated drinking water was supplied to the people.
Minister in charge of Mysuru district H.C. Mahadevappa, former MLA Yathindra Siddaramaiah, MUDA Chairman K. Mari Gowda and others were present.
The Chief Minister also visited the hospital where the people from the village who fell sick after drinking the contaminated water were being treated.
Check water quality daily
Meanwhile, Mysuru Zilla Panchayat CEO K.M. Gayathri has instructed that a team of officers must visit the water supply site in every village coming under each gram panchayat in the district to check the water source, quality, and storage. The officers must personally visit the place and check the water quality daily before distribution. A report has to be submitted to her every day, she directed.
She was speaking while presiding over a meeting of Mysuru taluk officials in connection with drinking water supply in rural areas.
The meeting was in connection with the incident of contaminated water supply in K. Salundi village that claimed the life of a youth.
She said water pipes laid underneath roads and drains should be replaced immediately if they are damaged or broken to prevent contamination.
She also told the officers to check water sources in low lying areas and ensure there was no contamination. Field Test Kits (FTK) have to be used to test the water samples.
