HYDERABAD, May 21: A child and a woman died on Friday of diseases believed to have been caused by contaminated water. The child, Ghulam Hussain, died at the Civil Hospital and the woman, Parveen Akhtar, at the Bhittai Hospital of gastroenteritis and other complications as a result of drinking water containing harmful substances.

Dr Hadi Bux Jatoi, medical superintendent of the Civil Hospital, said that so far 381 such cases had been reported at the hospital. He said that according to tests carried out in the laboratory of the hospital, the samples analyzed had a presence of 16.6 per cent sodium, whereas the safety limit was 9.6 per cent.

He added that the potassium content in water was 0.6 per cent and that of chlorine almost negligible. Meanwhile, General Officer Commanding, Hyderabad, Maj-Gen Tariq Masud emphasised the need for immediate action to deal with the situation arising out of the supply of contaminated water.

A meeting held at the Hyderabad Garrison to discuss the gravity of the situation was attended by district Nazim Dr Makhdoom Rafiquzzaman, Kotri Barrage Chief Engineer Agha Ali Hassan Pathan, Hyderabad Development Authority (HDA) Director-General Ali Ahmed Lund and Wasa Managing Director Kafeel Ahmed Khanzada.

According to an official source, Maj-Gen Masud said contaminated water was being supplied to the city as well as to the army garrison. The Nazim proposed the formation of a committee, comprising Nazims and DCOs of Hyderabad and Dadu districts, to find a permanent solution to the problem because, he said water had to be released from Manchar Lake to the Indus every year ahead of the monsoon season.

He said that whenever water was required to be released, the committee must be informed and water should be released in the river in sufficient quantity so as to reduce contamination.

The source told Dawn that the chief engineer of Kotri Barrage admitted that water had been released into the river because there was no other option. He said the discharge from the lake was necessary for the maintenance of its regulators which could be damaged in the event of monsoon rains.

The HDA and Wasa officials said water works of the authority could treat water to a certain extent but if the quantity of pollutants or contaminants were high then advanced treatment machines would be required for purification.