Karaikal agriculture college shuts for a week after students fall ill due to suspected water contamination
KARAIKAL: With around 20 hostellers having taken ill over the past one week due to suspected water contamination, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru College of Agriculture and Research Institute (PAJANCOA&RI) on the advice of the Puducherry health and family welfare services department has declared a week's holiday for students from Saturday.
Following the woman students availing of treatment at various hospitals and health centres such as the community health centre in Thirunallar over complaints of stomach ache, dysentery, dehydration and weakness after consuming water on campus, a team of officials led by Deputy Director of Health Services (immunisation) Dr K Sivarajakumar visited the college on Friday and inspected the water supply sources.
"We found that the reverse osmosis (RO) plant for the girls' hostel on the college campus malfunctioned. It hence could not purify the water supplied from the overhead water tank. We lifted samples for lab analysis," Dr Sivarajakumar told TNIE. Meanwhile, acting on the advice of health officials, the college administration declared holidays from Saturday for all students, including day scholars. "The exams scheduled for the next week will be conducted on later dates. In the meantime, we are taking all possible action to control and eradicate all contamination," Dr A Pouchepparadjou, the college dean said.