Shamsul Islam Naz

FAISALABAD, May 18: Four people, three of them children, died here after consuming polluted water on Thursday while over 500 others were brought to various city hospitals during the last 24 hours with stomach ailments.

All the deaths and most of the gastroenteritis cases were reported in heavily-populated Ghulam Muhammadabad Colony where the victims and patients reportedly consumed the tap-water supplied by the Water and Sanitation Agency.

Area people told Dawn that Wasa’s supply of piped water to the colony had been restored on Thursday after remaining suspended for the last four days due to reasons best known to the officials concerned. When the supply was restored, the water was yellowish and gave a foul smell, they said.

Sources said over 300 patients were brought to the government-run General Hospital, Ghulam Muhammadabad, out of which 100 were admitted while others were treated in the outdoor wards.

Dr Khawaja Muhammad Anees, Medical Superintendent of the hospital, confirmed the report of gastrointritis outbreak in Ghulam Muhammadabad. He said two out of the patients brought to the hospital on Thursday had expired.

He said despite meagre resources, the hospital staff was tackling the emergency situation and was providing all possible medical care to the patients.

Executive District Officer (Health) Dr Muhammad Javed confirmed that the deaths were caused by polluted water.

“We are trying our best to provide free-of-cost medical facilities to the patients admitted to the hospital. If the situation goes beyond our control, arrangements have been made to shift the patients to the DHQ and Allied hospitals,” he said.

Wasa Managing Director Rais Masood said special teams had been constituted to look into the matter while water supply to the affected area had also been suspended for time being. Those found guilty would have to face the music, he added.

Some area residents complained that the water supplied by Wasa had sewerage water mixing with bad smell.

Sources said about 100 patients were brought to the DHQ and Allied hospitals while 100 others were provided medical care at various private hospitals and clinics of the city.

Meanwhile, a group of enraged people protested against failure of the government agencies in providing clean water to citizens. They demanded registration of murder cases against Wasa officials.

Underground water in the city has become brackish and unfit for human consumption for the last many years due to which citizens had to depend on the tap-water supplied by Wasa for daily use. As Wasa’s supply network has become old and rusty, sewage gets mixed in the potable water in many areas. The pumping stations are also in poor condition. Despite repeated complaints by the citizens, authorities concerned did not bother to take steps to improve the water supply situation in the worst-hit areas, including Ghulam Muhammadabad, Gulistan Colony, Allama Iqbal Colony, Samanabad, Sharifpura and Peoples Colony No 2.