GUNTUR: The Guntur Municipal Corporation (GMC) is making all efforts to contain the spread of diarrhoea in the city. The civic body has taken measures to replace damaged pipelines for supplying drinking water.
In an inspection conducted after the outbreak of disease, GMC Engineering Department officials found that 225 water pipelines pass through drains at Anandpet, old Guntur and other areas where 8 people died of diarrhoea.
The pipelines in old Guntur, Sangadigunta, Anandpet, Chinna Bazar, Bara Imam Punja and adjacent areas, where they are passing through drainages, were installed 40 years ago.
The culture test of water samples collected from these areas revealed the presence of E coli bacteria. Septic tank connections of some houses in the area are crossing the side drains and human faeces was found in the drains.
The GMC is spreading awareness among the public to restrain from opening septic tank connections into side drains.
The regional water laboratory of Government Medical College, Guntur, had earlier collected water samples and found presence of faeces in the samples during.
The samples were collected after the outbreak of diarrhoea in the area.
The residents of Anandpet alleged that some people have opened their septic pipes into the side drains and requested the officials to restrain them from it.
Bacteriologist Dr Lakshmi Narayana said that up to 1600 organisms were present in 100 ml of drinking water, which is unsafe for consumption.
GGH RMO Dr. Y Ramesh said that after treatment drinking water should be free from E coli.
They are not aware that sewage water, containing E coli, is gushing into drinking water supply pipelines making water harmful for them.
19 Illegal water plants sealed
The team of revenue officials raided water plants and sealed 19 of them in Guntur, on Thursday. The raids were conducted as per the directions of District Collector K Sasidhar