One person died and four others were admitted to the government hospital here on Tuesday with the symptoms of diarrhoea and dysentery. More than a dozen people were treated as outpatients.

2 persons hospitalised each week; 25 fish released in contaminated water died BY V KRITHIGA Tirunelveli The villagers of Poolangulam (near Alangulam), are in deep trouble and confusion due to repeated illnesses caused in their village. Though the villagers argue that the illness is due to the contaminated drinking water, the panchayat chairman claims it to be the handiwork of 'some persons' who want to bring down his reputation. Since December 2007, an average of two persons are admitted tothe hospital every week due to diarrhoea and vomiting. A couple of days back, six villagers were admitted to the Primary Health Centre in Pavoorchatram with complaints of diarrhoea, vomiting and stomach pain. The villagers pinpoint the contaminated drinking water as the major cause of continuous illness. They were stunned when around 25 fish which were put in this contaminated water died recently. The village has a population of around 3,000. Two bore wells, one open well and water from a combined drinking water scheme are the sources of drinking water. The panchayat chairman, Navaneedha Samy first said, that 'some persons' had mixed an unknown chemical in the drinking water in order to tarnish his reputation for him but later said the illness was not due to water contamination but due to regular consumption of beef by the villagers. 'The villagers consume beef regularly and around 100 kg of beef is sold every day in the village', he claims. According to Ramar of Poolangulam, 'our village is going through a bad phase for months due to repeated illness caused by the contaminated water. The panchayat chairman doesn't seem to be bothered about the villagers and does not visit those who get admitted to the hospital'. The villagers want the district administration to intervene immediately and check the level of contamination. They want a strict warning to be given to the the panchayat chairman for his uncaring attitude.

Another 80 new patients, all of them garment factory employees, were diagnosed with gastroenteritis (GE) on Tuesday. With this, 204 employees of the Embee Apparels garment factory have taken ill after drinking contaminated water. The jurisdicational police have taken up a case. The factory manager was arrested and released on bail, and police are awaiting laboratory reports. "All the patients are stable right now,' said ESIMS Director Dr Rahimunnisa.

At least 125 employees of a garment factory took ill after drinking contaminated water at Madanayakanahalli, Nelamangala on Monday afternoon. While four are in a critical condition, the others are reported to be stable. In this connection the Nelamangala police have received a complaint against the factory management. According to the information received, the ailing people were the employees of Embee Apparels Private Limited at Madanayakanahalli. In the afternoon they all had lunch and drank water in the factory. Half-an-hour after drinking water, they all started complaining vomiting and diahorrea. Soon the nearby primary health centre was contacted and subsequently the health department was informed about the incident. Before the ambulances could reach the factory, majority of patients were rushed to the ESI Hospital. The patients were earlier taken to the nearby primary health centre from where 94 employees were referred to the ESI Hospital, Rajaji Nagar. Four persons, who were suffering from severe dehydration, were rushed to the Lifeline Private Hospital from where they were taken to the Isolation Hospital on Old Madras Road. Sources said the sick people were diagnosed with gastroentritis (GE). Over twenty were treated at Raghavendra Nursing Home. Majority of the workers are the residents of Hoskur, Nelamangala, Lakshmipura, Hosahalli and Madanayakanahalli. On learning about the incident, former Chief Minister Yeddyurappa and former Congress MLA Narendra Babu met the patients at ESI Hospital and enquired about their health. In this connection some people lodged a complaint with the Nelamangala police against the factory management. Sources said that the officials from health department have taken samples of drinking water from the factory and sent it to the PHI for analysis. Besides stool and food samples have also been collected for lab testing. District health officer, Taluk health officer and district surveillance officers and staff are monitoring the situation at Madanayanakahalli and the ESI Hospital.

More than 50 people of Rajadhanipatti village in Dindigul district were hospitalised for diarrhoea allegedly due to the consumption of contaminated water from the village water tank on Sunday. They were admitted to Batlagundu Primary Health Centre and Usilampatti Government Hospital. Farm labourers Samivelu (38), Fatima (55) and six-year-old girl Ramba vomited continuously before falling unconscious on Sunday morning. The villagers complained that the water tank was not cleaned for years. Dr Jegadeesh, Deputy Director of Health, Dindigul, said only four people were affected.

Diarrhoea has taken epidemic turn in Kanaimara, Boraikhandi and its neighnouring villages under South Salmara-Mankachar subdivision of Dhubri district over the last few days and already claimed three lives and several others suffering from the disease are in a serious condition. One Nur Amin (2) and Sajid Ahmed of Boraikandi village died on February 20 last. On the other hand, the 10-month-old son of one Mominur Islam of the village Kanaimara died on Friday due to diarrhoea. Some other children of Kanaimara-Boraikandi villages are also reportedly in critical condition at the time of filing of this report. It may be mentioned here that though many children have been suffering from diarrhoea, and some of them have already died, the Health Department has no information in their hand. Steps are yet to be taken, the local people alleged.

zinc supplements are widely promoted only in the oral rehydration therapy to treat diarrhoea. Plans to use it as a general supplement, have suffered a setback with a new study proving that they