Hyderabad water contamination raises toll to nine

Mohammed Yaseen, who was undergoing treatment at a private hospital, died while about 50 others, majority of them children, are admitted to various government-run hospitals.

Six people, including three children, died Tuesday in Bholakpur neighbourhood after drinking contaminated water from the public taps. Two more people died while undergoing treatment Wednesday.

Meanwhile, a senior Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer continued the investigations into the incident, which raised serious questions about the quality of drinking water supplied by Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (HMWS&SB).

Residents of some other localities were also admitted to hospitals over the last two days with complaints of vomiting, loose motions and fever.

Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy has taken serious note of the reports that the officials did not act on the complaints of water contamination for 15 days. He has warned the guilty of serious action.

The city-based Institute of Preventive Medicine (IPM) has found the presence of E.Coli in water samples collected from Bholakpur, a lower middle class locality. The bacteria is found in human faeces.

IPM officials said the drinking water was contaminated as the drainage water was getting mixed with it.

The institute has also found that the water supplied in some other areas in the city was also not fit for human consumption.