Sewage-tainted water sickens 50 in Ahmedabad, 11 hospitalised

At least 50 residents of Ahmedabad’s Ghatlodia area fell ill with diarrhoea and vomiting after contaminated water from a drainage line allegedly entered a drinking water pipeline, prompting a health response from civic authorities.

Officials said 11 people were hospitalised, while the remaining patients received outpatient treatment and are reported to be stable.

The incident affected nine residential societies, where residents complained of receiving dirty and foul-smelling water through household taps. Cases of illness began surfacing about four days ago.

“People from nine residential societies in Ghatlodia complained of receiving contaminated water supply, following which several cases of diarrhoea and vomiting were reported,” said Dr Bhavin Solanki, Medical Officer of Health at the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC).

According to Solanki, AMC has deployed four medical vans and 40 health teams in the affected neighbourhoods to monitor the situation, provide treatment and prevent further spread of illness.

While civic officials put the number of affected residents at 50, locals claimed the actual figure could be much higher.

“Hundreds of people have fallen ill after consuming contaminated water,” some residents alleged, expressing concern over the quality of drinking water supplied to their homes.

Responding to the claims, AMC commissioner Banchhanidhi Pani said the civic body's medical teams had conducted OPD consultations for 50 individuals and that all patients were safe.

Pani said the contamination was traced to a breakdown in water and drainage pipelines on 30 May. “The fault was immediately repaired after it was detected,” he said, adding that authorities are continuing surveillance in the area.

The incident has once again raised concerns over ageing civic infrastructure and the risk of sewage contamination in urban water supply networks, especially during the monsoon season.

With PTI inputs