Congress demands Vadodara city to be declared cholera-hit

Vadodara, June 15 (UNI) The Opposition Congress in the state demanded that the entire Vadodara city be declared as cholera-hit and preventive measures be taken up on a war-footing to combat the fast-spreading water-borne disease.

The city unit of the party which took out a rally here in support of its demand, claimed that the city was virtually in the grip of cholera, diarrhoea and jaundice which had affected about 1,000 people during the last one month.

While cholera had claimed the life of a two-year-old boy, six others were suffering with for the disease, city Congress president Bhikhabhai Rabari said after submitting a memorandum to Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) commissioner Rohit Pathak.

Alleging that the corporation had failed to check water contamination in different parts of the city, Mr Rabari demanded the authorities to undertake a massive cleanliness drive in the affected areas and proper medical attention to the victims admitted to three major hospitals in the city.

However, VMC health officer Dr Dhurandar Pathak disputed the Congress claim that one person had died of cholera. Admitting that six had tested positive for cholera so far, he said the situation was now under control with the health and water supply departments of the corporation undertaking a joint action plan to tackle the situation in the affected areas.

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