Spurt in jaundice cases raises alarm in Solan

A sudden spurt in jaundice cases has raised alarms for health authorities in Solan, with 32 cases reported from areas like Kather, Basal, and Chambaghat over a span of just 13 days.

Dr Amit Talwar, Chief Medical Officer at Regional Hospital, Solan, said, “Between January 12 and 24, a total of 32 cases of jaundice were detected in Basal, Kather and Chambaghat, a number slightly higher than the previous year. As a precaution, the Jal Shakti Department (JSD) and the local Municipal Corporation (MC) were instructed to collect water samples for lab analysis.”

“However, the situation has improved, with only two cases reported in the last two days and one case each in the last three to four days,” Dr Talwar said. He stated that authorities are closely monitoring the situation.

Solan Deputy Commissioner Manmohan Sharma said a joint team of officials from the Health and Food Safety Departments, along with the civic body authorities, had conducted water sampling in the affected areas, with samples sent to the Kandaghat-based Composite Testing Lab for analysis. He said the lab results were awaited for further action.

To prevent a potential outbreak, the JSD temporarily suspended water lifting from local sources. JSD Executive Engineer Ashish Rana said, “Contamination of water in areas like Lavighat, where sewage was found, led to the suspension of water lifitng from this source. Similarly, water lifting from Ashwani Khud was temporarily suspended on January 22 and water sampling reports were awaited. Water for Solan city is currently being lifted from the Giri potable water scheme.”

Water samples have been tested at the Composite Testing Lab in Kandaghat, JSD’s own lab, and a private lab in Mohali. Results from samples taken on January 22 are still awaited.

The presence of fecal coliform bacteria in water from the Lavighat area, near Saproon area, highlighted concerns about improper sewage disposal. Since the entire city of Solan is not yet connected to a sewage system, the practice of open sewage disposal remains a significant challenge for the JSD.