Leptospirosis outbreak: Probe report indicts govt depts for lapses

The inquiry report submitted by Ferozepur SDM Lindhiya regarding the outbreak of leptospirosis at Hazara Singh Wala village here has indicted public health, education and panchayati raj departments for gross negligence and lapses.

The report has brought to fore the “anomalies” at the level of the village panchayat also.

While confirming the glaring observations pointed out in the report, Deputy Commissioner Deepshikha Sharma DC said she had written to the Principal Secretary, Public Health, for action against the officials concerned, including an XEN and SDO. The DC said she had also asked the DEO (Secondary) and the DEO (Elementary) to fix the responsibility of the erring school officials within 48 hours.

Water tanks were found unclean while the RO system was dysfunctional at the school.

Sharma said she had also written to the Secretary, Water Supply and Sanitation Department, to take appropriate action against the erring officials who placed the water supply line adjacent to the sewerage line in the village.

Meanwhile, it also came to fore that of 525 water connections in the village, more than 400 were illegal. The DC said due to these unauthorised connections at multiple locations, the water supply line was found broken and leaking at several points, leading to the contamination of drinking water, leading to the outbreak.

The DC said the villagers had also installed a lot of submersible pumps to draw potable water. “Out of the households where children were found infected with stomach infection, only four houses have water supply connections,” she said.

The DC said that the administration was continuously monitoring the situation.At present 21, children are still admitted to the hospital.