A day after DNA reported about the rising number of positive cases of hanging drop test, the BMC’s hydraulic department collected water samples from the areas where patients admitted to Kasturba Hospital live.
Mohammed Hussein Virani, 60, a cholera patient was discharged from Kasturba Hospital on Tuesday. “BMC officials and Bhabha Hospital employees came to our house to collect water samples,” he said.
The department has also asked the health officer of the wards to increase the number of water samples they collect for testing.
“Normally, the health officer of the ward used to get us three to four water samples. We have now emphasised on minimum 10 samples from each ward since it is raining. This will give us more scope to find out water contaminations,” said B Bambale, chief hydraulic engineer.
The officials went to houses of those admitted for cholera at Kasturba Hospital to collect water samples.
“We should get the results in four days. Few days ago, we had got a cholera positive case from Chembur. We later found that the area didn’t have BMC water supply and was relying on water from tankers,” said Bambale.
Kasturba Hospital has more number of cholera and severe diarrhoea patients from Byculla, Mohammed Ali Road and fewer cases from Bandra and Kurla.
“We took the water samples on July 27. In E-ward (Byculla is part of E Ward), 10 samples were taken. Two samples tested positive for e coli,” said Bambale.
Civic officials, from the hydraulic engineer’s department, said they were not surprised by the higher rate of contamination in the island city.
Old buildings in the island city have narrow gaps between them, which are called ‘house gullies’. These gullies are unclean because usually they become garbage dumping areas.
