Nainital, Sep 8 (PTI) The Uttarakhand High Court on Tuesday directed local authorities to ensure clean drinking water and sound medical facilities for the residents while hearing a case involving the deaths caused by contaminated drinking water in Jyolikot and surrounding villages.
Describing the situation as an “epidemic,” a division bench comprising Justice Manoj Kumar Tiwari and Justice Siddharth Sah directed the Nainital district magistrate to personally oversee relief operations.
The bench also directed the secretary to take an early decision on the proposal to set up a water testing laboratory in the Kumaon region.
The bench posted the matter for further hearing on September 15.
During the hearing on the Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed in the matter, the bench heard Nainital District Magistrate Lalit Mohan Rayal, Chief Medical Officer Dr Rashmi Pant, Jal Sansthan Superintending Engineer Vishal Kumar, Peyjal Nigam Superintending Engineer Anish Kumar, and Chief Engineer Alok.
During the proceedings, petitioner and lawyer Ravi Bisht presented more than ten medical reports before the court.
Expressing concern over the situation, the court directed the officials to have the drinking water quality tested by private laboratories, rather than relying solely on their own internal testing.
On medical facilities, the court stated that if specialist doctors were not available locally, officials should bring them in from outside.
The bench instructed the Jal Sansthan and Peyjal Nigam to ensure that sewage and drinking water supply lines do not mix.
The high court also directed that water quality and sewage leakage be inspected in Nainital city and ordered the collection of water samples from 20 to 25 different locations.
Dr Pant informed the high court that contaminated water was responsible for the illness.
She said that patients would be treated under the Ayushman scheme.
The high court was also informed that medical teams had been deployed in seven villages to conduct door-to-door distribution of chlorine tablets and ORS, and eight doctors and an ambulance were stationed in the affected areas.
The petition raised the issue of a waterborne disease outbreak in Beluvakhan, Jyolikot, Gethia, Sariyatal, Durgapur, Ganja, Veerbhatti, Chheena, and surrounding villages.
A large number of jaundice cases have been reported in the area, while the recent deaths of a 16-year-old student and a 26-year-old woman have sent residents into panic. PTI DPT VN VN
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