Diarrhoea cases still on rise in Guntur

Guntur: Diarrhoea cases are still one rise in  Guntur city, as many as 40 patients were admitted to the GGH here for treatment  during the last 24 hours.  Over 100 patients are undergoing treatment at the special wards opened for diarrhoea case in the GGH. Over 500 patients are undergoing treatment at various private hospitals. 

Following instructions of Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, Minister for Municipal Administration P Narayana, Civil Supplies Minister Prathipati Pulla Rao and Social Welfare Minister Nakka Ananda Babu inspected drinking water pipelines shifting works in Old Guntur and sanitation.

Narayana said the government will replace old drinking water pipelines with the new pipelines in the 110 municipalities in the State at a cost of Rs 2,700 crore under Amrut Scheme and it will implement 24X7 drinking water scheme soon.  The Minister directed the officials in Guntur to inspect sewage treatment in the old city and instructed them to desilt the drains and the side drains.

He instructed them to take up repairs to the sewage treatment, if necessary and see that it is functioning properly. He explained steps taken by the government to check diarrhoea and added that deputy collectors are supervising the drinking water pipelines shifting works. He said they have shifted sanitation staff from other municipalities to Guntur city and added that situation is under control. 

He said the government provided an ex gratia of Rs 5 lakh to each of the kin of those who died of diarrhoea. He said Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu was regularly holding review meets on the diarrhoea cases and instructed the Ministers to take measures to see that normalcy is restored in Guntur.

Meanwhile, addressing media conference here, CPM State secretary P Madhu said that 25 persons died due to diarrhoea in Guntur. He alleged that the officials were not furnishing the actual information  on diarrhoea cases. He demanded  that the government take measures to prevent spread of diarrhoea within 48 hours. He threatened that the CPM would give a bandh call if the government failed to take up proper preventive measures.

CPI State assistant secretary Muppalla Nageswara Rao demanded resignation of Municipal Administration Minister P Narayana and suspension of Guntur Municipal Corporation Commissioner Ch Anuradha in the wake of the spread of diarrhoea in Guntur.