Pune team takes blood samples of patients

Tribune News Service

Shimla, January 28

A four-member team from the National Institute of Virology, Pune, today took blood samples of patients, who tested positive for jaundice. It will submit report to the state Health Department in three to four weeks.

The team is likely to visit the contaminated Ashwani Khud water source, the supply of which has been temporarily shut till the mixing of untreated water from the sewage treatment plant is plugged.

Though the state Health Department claims that the number of the cases has gone down from 60 to 21, jaundice scare continues in Kasumpti, Vikasnagar, New Shimla, Chotta Shimla and Khalini.

“As many as 1,125 cases have been tested positive at the IGMC, Ripon and Kamla Nehru hospitals since December 25,” said Dr Rakesh Bhardwaj, state programme officer. The number of cases had reduced to 21 today,” he added.

Meanwhile, the bail application of the private contractor of the sewage treatment plant, who is yet to be nabbed by the special investigation team (SIT), was rejected by the high court today.

The junior engineer and supervisor, who were arrested last week, were remanded in 14-day judicial custody after the duo was produced in the district court here today.

Meanwhile, residents accused the state government and the IPH Department of being negligent in curbing the jaundice outbreak. They said a similar situation took place in 2007 but the government and the IPH Department failed to take effective steps that time.

The IPH department has suspended the junior engineer, executive engineer and transferred the superintending engineer in connection with the recent jaundice outbreak.

The preliminary investigation by SIT revealed the IPH and private contractor, who run the sewage treatment plant, were found guilty of releasing the untreated sewage into Ashwani Khud.

IPH engineers blamed the Shimla Municipal Corporation for “gaps” in chlorination and distribution of water in the city.

Shimla SP DW Negi said the SIT probe was on and hunt to nab the contractor was on, who along with others have been booked under Sections 336, 326 of the IPC.