Uttarakhand Health Crisis: Almora Deaths скачать в хорошем качестве

Uttarakhand Health Crisis: Almora Deaths

Join this channel to get access to perks:    / @d2e   This is the Dhaludevi block in Uttarakhand’s Almora district. Recently, it has been in the news due to a fever outbreak that has, since the past two weeks, claimed 9 lives and rendered 50 others seriously ill. The illness began as a regular fever, which was dismissed as being caused by the changing weather. The severity of the situation was recognised when the sickness claimed the lives of the elderly, around 50-70 years old. The Dhaludevi, Almora deaths drew the attention of the district health department, and a team of doctors was soon dispatched to the area. Upon inspection, the root of the problem was identified in a bacterial infection that contaminated the drinking water. The water tanks contained Coliform bacteria that can cause typhoid, diarrhoea and cholera. Chief Medical Officer, Naveen Chandra Tiwari, said, “We have taken 11 samples, out of which three reports have confirmed typhoid.” Approximately 7,000 people in the Dhaula Devi block rely on the Saryu-Danya drinking water scheme, which has now been contaminated. The reason for such severe contamination was found in a broken pipeline that caused dirty water to mix with drinking water. Villagers claim that their complaints about the poor condition of the water supply weren’t addressed. They said that the deaths could have been averted had medical assistance arrived on time and tanks been cleaned regularly. The villagers have now started cleaning their tanks themselves, underscoring a failure on the part of the administration. According to a research paper published in the National Library of Medicine, titled, Microbial Waterborne Diseases in India, common waterborne diseases have caused 11,728 deaths between 2014 and 2018. The abstract of the paper further states,’ The outbreaks of these diseases have been rising because of a lack of adequate sanitation, poor hygiene, and the absence of proper disposal systems.’ Last year in December, 3 people died in Chennai due to the consumption of piped water. The recent Uttarakhand deaths must spur the water and health departments into action, and strict actions should be taken to ensure regular cleaning and inspection of drinking water quality. Efficient systems should also be in place to help residents from far-flung villages in the face of future uncertainties arising out of these situations. Down to Earth is Science and Environment fortnightly published by the Society for Environmental Communication, New Delhi. We publish news and analysis on issues that deal with sustainable development, which we scan through the eyes of science and environment.