In past eight months, eight persons all residents of Supabeda, have died due to mysterious kidney- related ailments, locals have claimed.
“The fluoride and arsenic removal plants installed by the state government in the area are not functioning properly. Those are the solar operated and in past several weeks due to monsoon there were numerous occasions when the filtering plants have stopped functioning and we had to drink the contaminated water,” Trilochan Sonwani a resident of Supebeda stated.
Recently, the team of experts consisting of doctors from AIIMS, state Health Minister and others had visited the village and re-assured villagers about proper handling of the situation.
Purandhar Purena (57) who was suffering from kidney problem for over a decade died in last week of September. According to state health department since 2008, 68 persons from the area have died due to kidney-related issues.
People there are willing to move to Odisha if Chhattisgarh government could not take care of them, Sonwani said.
Notably, the state government had approved a catch-well construction from nearby Tel River to supply safe water for Supebeda and nearby villages but it will take at least one or two years to complete.
“The other problem is if head of family get bed-ridden then who will earn for the family. This is another major factor that is keeping people away from hospital,” Mahendra Sonwani another resident of Supabeda stated.
