Former Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu wrote a letter to Chief Minister YS Jaganmohan Reddy, saying that there were rising fears over the presence of heavy metals like lead and nickel in the drinking water. The Government should immediately address these concerns and ensure proper drinking water supply through mobile mineral water plants and such measures.
Mr. Naidu said that the presence of heavy metals would have a serious impact on the health of pregnant women, children and the aged people. Hence, every resident in the town should be given electronic health cards. Every patient should be monitored on a long-term basis. The best medical care should be provided with the help of national and international medical experts. A scientific study of the Eluru illness should be made in order to find out the root cause.
Mr. Chandrababu Naidu reiterated his party demand for ‘health emergency’ so that all necessary steps could be taken to create confidence among the people and the patients. Protected drinking water was every citizen’s right and it was the duty of the Government. The Supreme Court had upheld the right to water as a fundamental right. Article 21 of the Constitution also said the same. It was unfortunate that the AP Government had failed to ensure protected drinking water and proper sanitation.
The TDP chief expressed serious concern over the rising cases in Eluru. Over six to seven hundred people had fallen sick and were admitted to hospitals in just five to six days. Alarmingly, the symptoms of the patients were changing each day. There were increasing fears over lack of immediate reasons for the mass affliction in the town.
Mr. Naidu strongly objected to the Jagan regime for not opening a ‘helpline’ for the victims of the Eluru illness till now. A ‘special control room’ should be set up immediately. The best medical care should be provided to all those patients who have similar symptoms like fits, frothing, fatigue, etc. ‘Quick response teams’ should be formed. There was a need for an urgent relief and assistance mechanism.
The TDP demanded immediate health and life insurance for every patient in Eluru. Their health profile should be closely monitored in order to avoid any future complications. In addition to Eluru, cleaning of water tanks and drinking water sources should be taken up in all towns, villages and cities across the State. Tests should be conducted on drinking water samples periodically.
There was a need for special drives on safe drinking water supply in order to prevent recurrence of incidents like Eluru illness. All focus should be given to sanitation and cleanliness at water bodies, reservoirs, tanks, drinking water pipelines, water taps and so on. Special care should be given to protected water. Trust should be created among the people in Eluru and in all other parts of the State.
