SLUG: WATER CONTAMINATIONAhmedabad: The summer season saw an increase in drinking water contamination complaints across Ahmedabad city this year. The eastern part, under the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC), particularly reported higher cases of drinking water contamination, leading to a surge in waterborne diseases.The health department of AMC released epidemic data on Tuesday, revealing that between May 1 and May 25, indoor cases at private and govt hospitals included 640 cases of gastroenteritis, 193 of jaundice, 312 of typhoid, and 21 cholera cases.The eastern part of Ahmedabad reported 18 cholera cases, while the western part recorded three cases. The Lambha area registered six cholera cases, the highest, followed by Behrampura with three. Single cases were reported in Saraspur, Gomtipur, Ramol, Jamalpur, Navrangpura, Gota, Chandlodiya, Vatva, Bhaipura, Dariapur, Maninagar, and Shahibaug.The initial 25 days of May also saw one chikungunya case, 19 dengue cases, and 50 simple malaria cases.In May 2024, 32 cases of cholera were reported in the month. However, from May 1 to May 25, 21 cases were recorded, indicating a potential increase.To address the rising waterborne diseases in the eastern part of the city, the AMC has started collecting water samples from suspected contamination areas. Over 25 days, authorities tested 44,586 water samples for chlorine, with 53 samples showing chlorine deficiency. Furthermore, of the 5,794 samples that underwent bacteriological testing, 43 were deemed unsuitable.According to AMC, between Jan 1 and May 25, 2,994 gastroenteritis, 931 jaundice, 1,558 typhoid, and 47 cholera cases were recorded in Ahmedabad city.In May 2024, 1,935 cases of gastroenteritis, 198 jaundice, 565 typhoid, and 32 cholera cases were recorded.
