BERHAMPUR: In a bizarre incident, a junior engineer of Rural Water Supply and Sanitation (RWSS)’s R Udayagiri sub-division has charged the office attendant with serving urine in a bottle instead of drinking water.
The incident, which reportedly took place on the night of July 23, came to light on Wednesday after the engineer, Sachin Kumar Gouda, filed a police complaint. The attendant was detained and is being questioned.
Gouda, who joined work on July 22, alleged that while working late at the office, he asked the attendant Siba Narayan Nayak for drinking water. Nayak reportedly handed him a stainless steel bottle which Gouda unknowingly drank from due to work pressure.
Soon after consuming the water, Gouda said he felt unwell and noticed an unusual taste and smell. Upon closer inspection using a transparent bottle, he and two fellow staff members observed that the liquid, yellowish in colour, appeared contaminated.
The water sample was first tested at the sub-divisional laboratory in R Udayagiri where ammonia levels exceeding 2 mg/L were detected, indicating possible biological contamination. A subsequent test at the divisional laboratory confirmed the presence of urine in the water.
“I suspect a conspiracy and a deliberate attempt to harm my health by providing urine-contaminated water. This malicious act occurred on the office premises and raises serious concerns about workplace safety. After consuming the water, I developed a throat infection and was admitted at the district headquarters hospital,” Gouda said.
He further claimed that despite informing senior departmental authorities, including the engineer-in-chief, director of Drinking Water, and the principal secretary, no action was taken, following which he filed the complaint.
IIC of R Udayagiri Ashwini Bhitariya said, a case has been registered and an investigation launched. “Nayak has been detained and is currently under interrogation. His alleged motive is still unclear,” he said.