Around 50 residents of Ahmedabad's Ghatlodia area fell ill after consuming contaminated drinking water, prompting a major health response from civic authorities. The affected residents reported symptoms such as diarrhoea and vomiting, with 11 people requiring hospitalization.
According to officials from the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC), the contamination impacted nine residential societies in Ghatlodia. Residents first complained of receiving dirty and foul-smelling water at their homes, following which several cases of illness were reported over the next few days.
Health officials said the contamination occurred after sewage water from a drainage system entered a drinking water pipeline due to a breakdown in both water and drainage lines. The pipeline fault reportedly occurred on May 30 and was repaired soon after it was detected.
Dr. Bhavin Solanki, Medical Officer of Health at AMC, said that complaints from residents of the affected societies led to an immediate health survey. To prevent the situation from worsening, the civic body deployed four medical vans and 40 health teams in the locality to monitor residents and provide treatment.
While AMC officials stated that 50 people had been treated through hospital admissions and outpatient consultations, local residents claimed the actual number of affected people was much higher. Some residents alleged that hundreds of people may have fallen sick after consuming the contaminated water supplied to their homes.
Ahmedabad Municipal Commissioner Banchhanidhi Pani said civic medical teams had conducted consultations for 50 individuals and assured that all patients were safe and receiving necessary treatment. Authorities are continuing health surveillance in the area and testing water samples to ensure the supply is safe before normal distribution resumes.
The incident has once again raised concerns over urban water infrastructure and the risks posed by damaged pipelines that allow sewage and drinking water lines to mix. Civic authorities have promised a detailed investigation to determine how the contamination occurred and to prevent similar incidents in the future.
