A drinking water contamination scare in a village near Nagpur led to several residents falling ill, prompting a swift public health response to prevent a larger outbreak. The incident occurred in Dhalgaon Khairi village, located in Saoner taluka approximately 45 kilometers from Nagpur city on the banks of the Kanhan river.
Pipeline Leak Triggers Health Emergency
The crisis began when a leak was detected on January 3 in a pipeline situated close to a water tank near the village gram panchayat office. The local administration carried out repairs the following day. However, in a separate incident on the same day, another section of the water supply line was damaged by a tractor transporting an electric pole.
These breaches raised immediate concerns about the potential mixing of contaminated groundwater or sewage with the potable water supply, a common cause of waterborne diseases. Dhalgaon Khairi, home to 1,692 residents across 376 households, was at significant risk.
Swift Medical and Administrative Response
Anticipating the danger, a team from the Khapa Primary Health Centre (PHC) visited the village on January 4. They directed the gram panchayat to undertake immediate super-chlorination of the entire water supply using scientific methods to disinfect it. As part of the protocol, officials collected water samples, bleaching powder samples, and conducted OT tests, sending them to a laboratory for detailed analysis.
A continuous epidemic surveillance drive was launched in the village from January 4 to January 7. During this period, health workers identified 10 residents exhibiting mild symptoms of illness. All affected individuals were treated successfully at their homes, and no hospitalizations were required, indicating the early containment of the health scare.
Situation Brought Under Control
Nagpur Collector Vipin Itankar confirmed that the situation was quickly stabilized. He stated that the initial leakage affected about 8-9 people. The damaged pipeline section was replaced, and health surveys covering more than 800 residents were completed to monitor for further cases.
"Such leakages can occur due to wall or ground damage," Collector Itankar explained, "but whenever there is a possibility of contamination, epidemic control measures are activated immediately." He assured that medical facilities, including ambulances, were kept on standby in the area and all affected residents were reported to be in stable condition.
The prompt action by the district health officials and the local gram panchayat likely prevented a more severe public health crisis, highlighting the importance of rapid response mechanisms for water contamination events in rural and semi-urban areas.
