PUDUCHERRY: Public Works Minister K Lakshminarayanan on Wednesday said the government has taken up emergency measures on a “war footing” to address the drinking water crisis in the Puducherry urban area following a spate of contamination-related illnesses.
So far, 21 people from Orleanpet constituency and seven from Nellithope constituency have been admitted to the Indira Gandhi Government General Hospital with complaints of vomiting and diarrhoea after consuming contaminated water. The Health Department has reported 30 similar cases in August emerging from 10 to 15 other localities across the city.
The minister convened an emergency meeting with Public Works Department (PWD) officials and directed immediate action.
Lakshminarayanan noted that nearly 450 km of water pipelines in Puducherry city were laid 30 to 40 years ago and may have deteriorated. He also pointed to poor coordination among civic agencies as a possible cause. “There are instances where departments like the municipality, electricity and telephone have dug up roads when the pipes could have suffered damages, which may have contributed to the problem. An investigation is under way,” he added. Meanwhile, the government is supplying purified drinking water in cans to households in the affected areas as an interim measure, he said .