No let-up in jaundice fury

Ambika Sharma

Tribune News Service

Solan, February 27

As many as 32 new cases of jaundice were reported in Solan in the last two days, taking the toll to 610 since January.

While 21 cases were detected yesterday, 11 new cases reported today.

Medical Officer, Health, Dr NK Gupta said they would get the water samples tested again from Pune-based National Virology Lab.

Though cleaning of water tanks was under way, the treated water from sewage treatment plant at Shamti was still not fit for drinking.

It was learnt that the level of biological oxygen demand (BoD), which was a key parameter of measuring the treated sewage water, of the Shamti STP had not attained the optimum level.

An improvement, however, had been seen in the working of the STP after the outbreak of jaundice. Sources said the level of various key parameters such as the chemical oxygen demand (CoD), BoD and suspended solids were high in the initial weeks of January when the cases of jaundice started pouring in. While the BoD was as high as 46 mg/litre, the Ph level was recorded at 9.22 and the extent of suspended solids were also above the safe limit of 144 mg/litre in the last sampling report.

Since the water samples were drawn from the final outlet of the STP, the results reflected more needed to be done to ensure proper working of the STP.

The major worry of IPH officials was the sewage flow into various nullahs in Solan. Officials said these facts came to the fore during a survey undertaken by them to assess the working of its potable water schemes and STPs.