Waterborne grip UP, toll at 35

Lucknow, Jun 21 (UNI) Incessant rains hitting Uttar Pradesh since the advent of monsoon has abated a bit, but flood threats and onset of waterborne diseases have posed problems for the people in several districts of the state.

In the last 24 hours, rain related incidents have claimed four more lives, including two children.

With fresh deaths reported from Deoria, Bareilly and Maharajganj, the death toll mounted to 35.

According to official reports, in Varanasi, Patiya colony in Kakarmutta area, where mostly weavers reside, was the worst affected, where within three days about 30 people were admitted in hospital following diarrhoea.

The locals have alleged that people were forced to drink contaminated water as the district administration failed to provide potable water, resulting in mass illness.

They also alleged that administration was not serious over the deteriorating sanitation facilities in the area, as nallahs and sewer were not cleaned and well and water bodies never treated.

With the onset of monsoon, situation becomes unbearable and drinking water gets contaminated with over flowing nallahs and bursted sewer lines, they said.

As soon as the news of the disease broke, the Water commission Director General reached the affected area and provided water tankers, besides sprinkling pesticides.

According to official reports, cases of Japanese Encephalitis (JE) have been reported from Gorakhpur, Deoria, Maharajganj, Kushinagar, Basti, Siddharthnagar, Sant Kabirnagar, Balrampur, Mau, Azamgarh, Ambedkarnagar, Ghazipur, besides few cases reported from Bihar and neighbouring country Nepal.

JE mostly targets children, between the age group one to 14 yrs.

Medical Health and Family Welfare Department Additional Director Dr L P Rawat today told UNI that ''till now, 246 people were admitted to the Baba Raghavdas Medical College in Gorakhpur due to the disease, of whom 61 have died.'' Of the deceased, nine hailed from Nepal and Bihar, he added.

Fourteen people were still being treated in the hospital, he informed.

According to Central Water Commission (CWC), the rising water level of rivers due to the heay downpour was becoming alarming for several districts in the state. In Sant Kabirnagar district, the Rampur-Makdoompur dam is under threat from swelling Ghaghra river.

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