Water-borne diseases claim four lives in Bharuch villages

Bharuch, Gujarat, Aug 6 (UNI) Four persons, including a woman and two children, have died in Jambusar taluka of this district due to water-borne diseases which have shown a rise following heavy rains since the last two weeks.

Over 1500 people have been hospitalised, almost 1,000 of them in the last 36 hours alone, mainly in the Khanpura, Kavi and Magnand villages in Jambusar.

Three children -- Rizwan Ahmed (11), Heena Nasir Mavaj (5) and Abdul Samad Ahmed (14) from Khanpura village, have been shifted to the Vadodra civil hospital after it was confirmed that they were suffering from dengue.

Villagers have accused the district authorities of being apathetic to their problems. Nasir Patel, a Khanpura villager, said water supply department was providing potable water to the village only once in 20 days. The villagers, therefore, were compelled to store water in tanks which has led to the breeding of mosquitoes, he said.

Mr Patel alleged that the district health department has commenced chlorination of water only two days back although water-borne diseases have been afflicting the villagers since the last 15 days.

Accumulating garbage in the streets has also added to the woes of the villagers, according to Salim Khan, a resident of Kavi village.

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