The Hindu    27.08.2012

‘No water contamination in Mela Chinthamani area’

Extensive checks conducted by the Tiruchi Corporation
has revealed that there was no contamination in the drinking water
supplied to residential colonies in Mela Chinthamani area, where some
children were said to be showing symptoms of jaundice over the past few
days.

The corporation believes it has reason to
suspect that the problem was caused by food contamination, especially
through eatables consumed by the children, and has decided to write to
the school heads in the city asking them to curtail the sale of fruits
and other eateries under unhygienic conditions around their premises.

Surveillance

The
corporation doctors took up surveillance in the area over the past
couple of days after several children in the area were reported to be
down with fever.

The civic body had even disconnected
drinking water supply to the households as a preventive measure and to
check for possible water contamination.

Corporation Commissioner V.P.Thandapani told
The Hindu
on Sunday that the measures have ruled out any water contamination.About sixteen children, most of them in their early teens, were showing symptoms of jaundice.

Enquiries
with them have revealed that most of them have consumed eatables,
including fruits such as guava, sold outside their school campus;
Mr.Thandapani said and added that the Corporation would take up a drive
to check the sale of eatables in unhygienic conditions.

“We
will also write to the schools asking them to curb the sale of eatables
outside their premises under unhygienic conditions,” he added.