KARACHI, July 10: The most likely reason for the outbreak of gastro-enteritis which hit parts of Gadap Town on Wednesday was the consumption of well water of dubious quality, visit to the affected localities revealed on Thursday.
The outbreak shows that wells are not always a good source of water to be consumed. Therefore, the people who get their own wells sunk to get rid of water shortages do so at their own risk.
The residents of Bhiroo and Old Thano villages told this reporter that water used to be supplied to them both from the well which had been sunk near the Malir River and the pipelines laid by the water and sanitation department.
However, this was done after the well and piped water had been mixed, a resident named Nazar M. Baloch told Dawn. This indicated that the residents, and also the leaders of the area, knew that water from wells was not absolutely safe.
Some days ago the supply of water through the main pipelines was discontinued after a pump of the water and sanitation department had developed a fault. As a result, the residents began using the unmixed and undiluted water from the well in the area, falling sick in the process. This too showed that the water from all wells should not be consumed.
On Thursday the authorities ordered the closure of the well in the area. And water from it is no longer being used for drinking. But this step was taken after at least four people had died and more than 500 had fallen sick.
M. Luqman Baloch — a middle-aged man who fell sick on Wednesday after drinking contaminated water and who was allowed to go home after treatment — had to be taken back to a relief camp for health care on Thursday.
The reason? He had drunk some of the water that had been stored in his house. Some other residents, namely Khuda Bakhsh, Abdul Majeed, Abdullah Murad and Sajid Jokhio, had similar tales to tell.
This and other examples show clearly that it was the well water which was behind the outbreak of gastro-enteritis in the area.
A visit to the well in question revealed that it was situated near the Malir River through which industrial effluent and sewage flowed quite regularly. The water in the well seemed dirty, even filthy, to the naked eye.
A research study, undertaken at the chemistry department of Karachi University, had revealed not long ago that well water was not always fit for human consumption. At the same time, however, there were areas in Karachi where wells could be sunk for safe water.
The report on the study had concluded that a survey should be undertaken as soon as possible to determine the names of the areas where well water was safe.
Meanwhile, all the doctors who spoke to Dawn on Thursday were of the opinion that it was gastro-enteritis from which the people of Bhiroo and Old Thano villages were suffering.
Dr Seemin Jamali of the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre said Sukhan, who died on Thursday, had been referred to her hospital on Wednesday. “But this 50-year-old woman was so severely dehydrated that we could not save her life.”
She said only three patients had been admitted to the JPMC on Thursday.
Dr Safdar Hussein, Dr Zafar Ijaz and Dr Murtaza Shah, who met this reporter in Old Thano and Bhiroo villages, also said the affected people suffered from gastro-enteritis.
