People warned against drinking impure water

KOLKATA: Discounting Kolkata Mayor Sovan Chatterjee’s clean chit to the possibility of water contamination a top official of the state health department on Tuesday warned the people to not to drink the water which is not purified.

Contrary of Mr Chatterjee claims on Monday, Ajay Kumar Chakraborty, the new director of health services, affirmed that illness of hundreds of people in a particular zone of the city was result of a water-borne disease due to contamination.

He said, “In such a situation it is nothing but water-borne due to contamination. The common source of infection in case of diarrhoea generally is water-borne. The KMC is carrying out a campaign through miking to alert the citizens. All should not drink water without purifying it or they should buy water from outside or they take the tablets, provided by us, with the water. At any point no one should not have the water which is not purified. No risk should be taken on an unknown issue. The affected family must boil the water before using it.”

Dr Chakraborty, however added, “Our health set-up is so improved that there has been death or the outbreak has not turned into a catastrophy. Most patients are being discharged from hospital after receiving treatment. The patients are very happy with the treatment. Altogether 1100 patients had come to the outdoor at Baghajatin State General Hospital.”