SILCHAR, July 13: Diarrhoea seems to have taken an epidemic form in the Binnakandi Tea Estate of Cachar located 15 km away from the sub-divisional headquarters of Lakhipur. According to information from the area, the disease has so far claimed six lives, three male and three female.The victims all belonging to tea tribe have been identified as Pappu Rickyasan (14), Baisali Baroi (26), Benu Das (18), Urmila Lohar (22), Bithina Rickyasan (42) and Nirjay Baroi (44). Two critically ill, Sandhya Rickyasan (28) and Subal Rickyasan (12) have been referred to Silchar Medical College and Hospital.
In view of the situation turning critical, at the initiative of the sub-divisional officer (civil) of Lakhipur, Biresh Chandra Nath, a medical camp was organized today for the people affected by the infectious disease which is spreading fast in the tea estate area and beyond. The camp held under the aegis of Cha Sramik Youth Unnayan Sanstha and in co-ordination with the management of the tea estate headed by CEO Satish Chandra Gupta examined the people caught in the grip of diarrhoea and identified 120 of them who needed immediate medical care and attention. 110 others were found to be suffering from fever from moderate to high temperature.
The patients have been kept under observation of a teamof doctors who have been provided with necessary medicines. The team of doctors led by Dr Shekhar Suman Das, sub-divisional medical officer, and assistedby Dr Bulbul Haque, Dr Ajay Chakraborty as well as doctors from Chotomanda PHC, besides paramedical staff examined the patients in the day-long camp at Lakhipur medical hospital mobile unit in the tea estate of Binnakandi.
The break out of diarrhoea has been attributed to the intake of polluted and contaminated water for consumption by the people of the areas and the tea estate from natural sources as well as the river Barak. The affected people have demanded safe drinking water from the PHE plant which has been assured by the authorities concerned from Saturday. DDT will be sprayed in and around the vulnerable areas. As a precautionary measure, 1000 packets of water purifiers have been distributed among the people under the spectre of the highly infectious disease. The situation in the tea estate is grim with shockand sorrow around. Citizens concerned think if preventive and precautionary measures were taken, lives would not have been lost. The labour inspector P K Karmakar to day visited the tea estate and took stock of the situation in Binnakandi in Cachar under Lakhipur sub-division. (SentinelAssam)