BARGARH:  Even as more cases of renal failure are coming to fore in Ghumnipali under Sohela block of the district, health officials continue to grapple in the dark about reason behind the ailment.

While 10 villagers have already died due to the disease in the last two years, 12 others have been affected. Sources said in the hamlet of Rohidaspada under Ghumnipali village, 10 persons have died due to renal failure in the last two years. They are Devaki Rohidas (45), Sundarmani (55), Pabitra (20), Sundar (50), Lochan (40), Bharat (35), Kunu (15), Mahadeb (40), Muchu (30) and Kaira Rohidas (40) . As of now, 12 villagers are suffering from kidney ailment. While villagers said the disease was an outcome of contaminated drinking water, Medical Officer of Sohela Community Health Centre Ranjan Kumar Mohapatra said the problem has nothing to do with water. He said as the patients belong to a particular community, there could be something wrong with their eating habits.

Having a population of 1300 people, Ghumnipali has seven tubewells. Two of these tubewells are installed in Rohidaspada and around 250 persons depend on them for drinking water.

One of the affected persons, Dalimba, said all of them first suffered from fever and severe bodyache. “Later, we had swelling in different parts of body and doctors diagnosed renal failure as the reason behind the ailment,” he added. They suspect chemical contamination of the drinking water source.

Executive Engineer of RWSS, Bargarh, Aurobindo Jena said water samples were collected from the village and sent for test. “The water samples were found to be safe for consumption,” he said.

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