Death brings back into focus poor quality of drinking water in Adivasi habitation

An as yet unidentified debilitating disease, which is said to have claimed the lives of four villagers in the last three years, is haunting the far flung Rajulguda Adivasi hamlet of Narayanpur gram panchayat in Sirikonda mandal. The symptoms that are plaguing almost all adults, living in the 27 households in the village, are severe joint pains, much similar to the symptoms of osteo arthritis, and some of tuberculosis and asthma.

The peculiar problem of this village came to light once again following the death of Chikram Chinnu on October 10 though it has been around for about three years now. One of factors which is possibly causing trouble to the villagers is ground water, the villagers told The Hindu on Friday.

“We drink water from three bore wells. One of it is not being used since a few months as drinking its water causes excruciating burning sensation while urinating,” pointed out Kotnak Lachu who is suffering from back pain.

“Authorities had taken samples of water from here about one-and-a-half years ago,” recalled Chikram Mohan of the action initiated by officials in the administration when the incidence had come to light for the first time. “We are still waiting for the result and the remedy by way of facilitating alternate source of drinking water,” he added, rather sarcastically.

The ground water in some areas of Ichoda and Bazarhatoor mandal is known to contain excessive levels of flouride, which had caused health issues in villages like Jalda, Rampur, Bhutai and Gangapur. The water in Rajulguda could also be similar, according to a private doctor in Ichoda.

“None of us can walk immediately after waking up every morning as all our joints go stiff and it is painful. It takes about 15 minutes for us to walk normally,” explained Jugnak Krishna, a youth who looks an unlikely victim for a problem like arthritis, as he tried to focus on the main problem.

The villagers complained that the ground level medical team does not visit the village regularly even though the multipurpose health assistant and the ANM were present. “They had come today after a gap of four months,” the patel informed.

In the absence of proper treatment, the inhabitants consult quacks who prescribe pain killers. Many villagers admitted to be addicted to pain killers.