JHARSUGUDA: The district administration seems oblivious to the plight of residents of Tareikela village in Kolabira block where 12 people have allegedly died of kidney disease in the last four years.
Even as the villagers blame contaminated drinking water for spread of the disease, their repeated appeals for getting the samples tested have yielded no result. The villagers said at present 15 people are suffering from kidney disease. People affected by the disease complain of stomach ache and weakness. Later, swelling is noticed on their face, legs and limbs.
Dukh Pasayat, one of the affected, said several people in the village have not come forward to report the ailment. Kailas Singh Naik of the village said the disease claimed the lives of his two brothers. One of them Aswini Singh Naik was a former sarpanch while the other Susil Singh Naik was a painter. "Their children are now leading a miserable life. The district administration and Health department should come forward to address the menace," he said.
Urbasi Parekh of the village lost her 20-year-old daughter to the disease. "Her legs and belly were swollen. In spite of the treatment provided to her, she could not be saved," she said. Similar is the plight of Brusav Das whose mother died of the disease. Now, he too is afflicted with it.
Meanwhile, CDMO Dr Dolamani Parel said a team of doctors was sent to Tareikela village on Monday. The affected people have been called to the district headquarters hospital for treatment. Two patients were found to have been suffering from the disease on the day. The team will visit the village again on Tuesday to examine the patients. Dr Parel said the villagers’ claim that 12 people have died of the disease will be verified.