May 18: Access to potable water still remains a mirage in the rural habitations of Theni district thanks to the callous attitude of three vital bodies — Tamil Nadu water supply and drainage (TWAD) board, local bodies and public health.

Apathy and utter lack of coordination between the three departments has led to the break out of cholera which has claimed four lives and affected several others.
Deputy chief minister M.K. Stalin went on record in the Assembly that contaminated water claimed the life of 10-year-old Pavithra at Uthamapalayam. Mixing of sewerage with water supplied under the Uthamapalayam combined drinking water supply scheme led to the hospitalisation of 83 people on Wednesday of whom Pavithra died of diarrhoea, he had said. It was later confirmed that she died of cholera.

Till Sunday, cholera deaths continued. According to collector P. Muthuveeran, 10 out of 14 people tested positive for cholera. Influx of patients continued with another 49 getting admitted to the government hospitals in Cumbum, Chinnamanur and Uthamapalayam on Monday.

Dr R.T. Porkaipandiyan, director, public health, said, “Two blocks — Kombai and Odaipatti — have been affected.” A week has passed but the district administration has failed to take action against employees who supplied the contaminated water to these blocks. While the TWAD board passes the buck to the town panchayats for distributing water without chlorinating it, the local body officials hold the TWAD board responsible.

According to Dr Porkaipandiyan, four grams of chlorine should be added to every 1,000 litres of water. However, sources said the water sample test revealed that it had not been chlorinated and contained faecal matter. Sources said public health officials, whose job is to monitor the chlorination process, had also failed in their duty. The worrying sign is, despite Mr. Muthuveeran’s warning, Uthamapalayam and other town and village panchayats continue to let drainage into Mullaiperiyar river, the only drinking water source in the region.