Health hazard in Pune: Lack of chlorine in water linked to rising GBS cases

A survey of water quality conducted in and around Nanded village, the epicentre of Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS) in Pune city, has found that there was lack chlorine in the drinking water supplied to the households of 26 patients of this nerve disorder, officials said.

Three fresh cases of GBS

On Tuesday, three fresh cases of GBS were reported in the city, taking the overall tally to 166, they said. Officials of the Rapid Response Team (RRT), formed to probe the outbreak of the GBS cases in Nanded and adjoining localities on Sinhagad Road area, there are a total of 77 GBS patients in Nanded. Of them, the households of 62 patients were visited to take the samples of the drinking water. The findings of the house-to-house survey about lack of chlorine in drinking water was discussed in the meeting of the RRT.

Immediate action to maintain chlorine level

Experts have now urged the water supply department of the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) to take immediate action to maintain chlorine level of 0.2 PPM (parts per million) in the household water supply to ensure public health safety. "While water at the source (well) was found to be adequately purified with sufficient chlorine levels, zero chlorine was detected in households of out 26 patients out of 62," an RRT member said.
The water supply department should take immediate action to maintain a minimum chlorine level of 0.2 ppm in household water supply, he said.

Reason of GBS cases

Last week, Maharashtra Health Minister Prakash Abitkar had disclosed that 80 per cent of the suspected GBS cases in Pune have been reported from areas located around a mega well in Nanded. He had also noted that high number of cases in certain areas appeared to be linked to suspected water contamination. When contacted, Nandkishor Jagtap, head of the civic body's water supply department, said the water from the well (in Nanded, which supplies to four to five villages) is adequately purified with sufficient chlorine levels.

Zero level of chlorine

"The reasons for having zero level of chlorine level could be that the households must be sourcing water from other sources, such as private tankers or non-cleaning of overhead water tanks at the residential society or individual household," he said. There is another reason that if the water is stored in large quantities, the levels of chlorine could go volatile, the official said. Jagtap said his department also collected some samples in which chlorine was not found in some samples and Escherichia coli or E-Coli bacteria was also found.

Use of bleaching power

"After we found E coli in some of the water samples collected from the tankers, their operators have been issued notices and they have been instructed to use bleaching power solutions provided by the PMC to ensure that the bacteria is contained," he said. He added that some of the private water ATMs were seized after E coli was found in their samples. Meanwhile, Dr Radhakishan Pawar, deputy director of the state health department and chairman of the RRT, said the outbreak of GBS is subsiding now.

A decline in the number of GBS cases

"There are around 165 cases, of which 77 are cluster cases which are from Nanded village area. Remaining cases are from other parts of Pune and other districts and they are not epidemiologically related to Nanded area. We consider these 77 cases in Nanded and adjoining areas as an outbreak as they are more than normal and accordingly, the investigations and sample collection of water, stool, poultry, food was going on," he said. A decline in the number of GBS cases has been observed now, he added.

"There was a peak around January 18 and 19 but now a decline has been recorded," he said. GBS is a rare condition that causes sudden numbness and muscle weakness, with symptoms including severe weakness in the limbs.

(Except for the headline, nothing has been changed by AINN in the PTI copy.)