Kavadigarahatti, a Dalit village in central Karnataka’s Chitradurga district, has witnessed the death of five people since August 1. All of them experienced symptoms similar to diarrhoea, vomiting, and stomach ache. The five deceased had one more thing in common — they had consumed the water from the village’s sole overhead water tank on July 31.
The overhead water tank alleged to be contaminated was the primary source of water for 220 houses in Kavadigarahatti. District authorities attribute the deaths to cholera caused by water contamination in the tank, and this theory has been bolstered by medical reports which show the presence of cholera-causing bacteria in two of the deceased people. The residents however suspect the tank could have been contaminated on purpose by a person from a dominant caste. As a preventive measure, the supply of drinking water from the tank has been stopped. Water tankers have been deployed to supply water to the affected locality.
Located 3 km away from Chitradurga town, Kavadigarahatti is a Dalit village comprising 735 houses, most of whom are daily wage workers from the Adi Karnataka community (Scheduled Caste). The village shares a boundary with Lingayats (dominant caste). Since the beginning of August, over 200 residents, including 44 children, have been hospitalised due to symptoms like stomach ache and diarrhoea.
When TNM visited Kavadigarahatti, the residents were still trying to come to terms with the deaths of their family members. The first death was of Manjula (23), who was hospitalised on July 31 after she complained of diarrhoea and stomach ache. "We brought her back from the hospital the same day. The entire night she was vomiting and had a stomach ache. In the morning, we found her dead,” said Anjaneya, Manjula’s husband.
While Raghavendra (27) died after suffering from diarrhoea and stomach ache, his pregnant sister Usha (22) suffered a miscarriage after experiencing similar symptoms. She is currently under treatment at a Manipal hospital. Rudrappa (50) succumbed to the symptoms at the Basaveshwara Hospital in Chitradurga. Praveen, who had visited relatives in the village on July 30, passed away at Vaddara Siddanahalli. Nine members of 75-year-old Parvatamma’s family were under treatment at the district hospital when she passed away at home. Her son Ashwath said, “We didn’t know about her death until later. She was alone at home suffering through it while we were receiving treatment.” The Minister-in-charge of Chitradurga district, D Sudhakar, announced Rs 10 lakh compensation for kin of the deceased.
Five residents are still undergoing treatment at the Intensive Care Unit of the Basaveshwara Hospital. One of them told TNM, "We were just going about our daily lives, and suddenly everything turned upside down. Our kids are missing school, and we can't go to work. The uncertainty is almost as hard as the sickness itself."
The Health Department has set up an emergency clinic near the village. Dr Manjula, the medical officer, said, “We have been giving primary treatment to the residents since the first incident came to light. The number of patients has decreased now. As of August 15, no new patients have been reported and the residents are recovering from the symptoms.”
The overhead tank in Kavadigarahatti.
Emergency clinic set up by Health department in Kavadigarahatti
It has been more than two weeks since the first reported death. Even at this point, the only thing known for certain is that consuming water from the overhead tank on July 31 is the common thread linking the victims. The District Health Officer Dr Ranganath said, "Prima facie, four of the five water samples collected are unfit for human consumption." In addition to this, the police and the district administration have collected water samples from the water tank, houses, and sewage and sent them for forensic analysis. However, what contaminated the water remains unknown as the forensic report is yet to come.
The analysis of water samples from Manjula’s house, the overhead tank, and tap water by a Bengaluru laboratory has revealed the presence of Vibrio cholerae (cholera-causing bacteria) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Turbidity levels (cloudiness of water) exceeded the maximum permissible limit and indications of faecal contamination were also recorded.
Meanwhile, residents allege the involvement of foul play, stating that the tank is likely to have been contaminated on purpose. A resident who spoke to TNM alleged that it is possible that a dominant caste man, who had been upset over the marriage of his kin to a Dalit from the village, may have contaminated the water.
In January 2023, a similar incident had happened in Vengavayal in Pudukottai district of Tamil Nadu where Dalit villagers alleged that people from dominant castes had defaecated in their water tank. Multiple investigations (judicial and police) are happening in the case.
In Kavadigarahatti, there have also been allegations that the municipal council has not cleaned the water tank for several years. "We've heard about the water tank not being cleaned for years," said Vasantha, a resident who was discharged from the hospital on August 8. "But we need concrete answers. We can't move forward until we know the truth,” he said.
Even as the investigation is underway, the Chitradurga District Administration has taken action against municipal employees and officials who are responsible for water supply and management. A group D employee has been suspended, two contract employees have been terminated, and an assistant executive engineer and a junior engineer have been recommended for suspension.
Observing that there was failure/negligence on the part of the concerned authorities in providing pure and safe drinking water to the residents, Lokayukta BS Patil issued a suo motu notice to seven officials, including the Urban Development Department Secretary, directing them to respond by August 24. Patil said that the evident negligence of these officials in providing pure and safe water to the residents resulted in the outbreak.