Kolkata: More residents of Siddha Happyville in Rajarhat reported vomiting, diarrhoea and stomach pain on Monday even as the Public Health Engineering (PHE) dept collected water samples from the housing complex on Monday to ascertain the source of suspected contamination and complex facility management authorities deputed three doctors at the complex treating the patients.The development came as the housing complex management began cleaning and disinfecting the overhead tanks and underground reservoir supplying water to all nine towers a day after complex residents staged a protest complaining more than two dozen residents had reportedly fallen ill in recent days because of suspected water contamination.The tank cleaning exercise, however, has led to severe water scarcity, with district authorities arranging temporary tankers to maintain supply.Medical teams have also been deployed at the complex and the situation is being monitored, officials said.“Three doctors were stationed at the common area of the complex, where around 70 residents were treated. Based on the consultations conducted, no major or serious health-related concerns were reported by the doctors,” Tonmoy Chatterjee, facility head of Siddha Group said on Monday.Residents, however, said messages about fresh cases of illness were being posted regularly on the residents’ WhatsApp group, with several families now worried about the safety of the water supply. “More people are reporting vomiting, diarrhoea and stomach pain on the group. Some residents are even wondering whether they should shift elsewhere until the situation improves,” said Safikureshi Mondal, a resident.Aditya Kumar, another resident, said the water shortage had added to the residents’ problems. “People are already worried about falling ill and now there is a shortage of water as the tanks are being cleaned. Residents are having to depend on tankers for their daily requirements,” he said.The complex has nine 19-storey towers with 1,368 flats and more than 4,000 residents. Cleaning of the tanks and reservoir began on Sunday evening after residents complained that the water supplied to their homes could have been contaminated.Residents also pointed to open drains at several places inside the complex, alleging that these were often filled with stagnant water and had become mosquito breeding spots.Complex authorities in a statement said they undertook an investigation from Sunday and have found that the under construction area of the complex needed cleaning and though there was accumulation of water in the trench/pit, there was no indication of such water entering or mixing with the nearby water tanks.“To further verify the quality of water being supplied through the tube wells, freshwater samples have been sent to an authorised laboratory for testing. As per the standard operating procedure, water quality is regularly tested in every three months,” said Chatterjee. “We are closely monitoring the situation and will take any further necessary action based on the findings of the water-quality tests and expert assessment.”
