Uttarakhand HC orders emergency measures as Nainital water outbreak kills three

DEHRADUN: The Uttarakhand High Court has ordered urgent testing of water sources, uninterrupted supply of safe drinking water and specialist medical care in Nainital’s Jeolikote belt, where a suspected water contamination outbreak has claimed three lives and left more than 250 people ill.

Describing the situation as “epidemic-like”, a Division Bench comprising senior Justice Manoj Kumar Tiwari and Justice Siddharth Sah directed the district magistrate to personally monitor relief operations in Jeolikote, Ganja, Veerbhatti, Chhina, Beluwakhan and Sariyatal.

The court directed the regional officer of the Uttarakhand Pollution Control Board to collect samples from 20 to 25 water sources in and around Nainital and submit a report within six days.

It also directed the secretary of the Drinking Water Corporation to expedite approval for a proposed water-testing laboratory in the Kumaon region.

The administration was directed to provide potable water through tankers and immediately set up a helpline for complaints concerning sewage leaks and contaminated water supplies.

Hearing a public interest litigation filed by advocate Ravi Bisht, the Bench expressed displeasure over the alleged failure of officials to repair leaking sewer and drinking-water pipelines promptly.

“Had the sewer and drinking-water pipelines been repaired promptly, villagers would not have faced this crisis,” the court observed.

District Magistrate Lalit Mohan Rayal, Chief Medical Officer Dr Rashmi Pant and senior officials of Jal Sansthan and Jal Nigam appeared before the Bench.

The court also criticised gaps in healthcare facilities, calling the situation “extremely worrying in the 21st century”. It said specialist teams should be brought in from outside without hesitation if government hospitals lacked the required doctors.

Following the hearing, the district magistrate released Rs 4 lakh for ELISA and other essential tests at private laboratories. Officials said the allocation would be increased if required.

Two recent deaths have raised the toll to three. The victims were identified as 16-year-old Ritesh Jeena of Sariyatal and 26-year-old Neema Joshi of Jeolikote, a mother of two.

Ritesh, who was suffering from typhoid and diarrhoea, was referred from Haldwani to Delhi after his condition deteriorated on August 28. Doctors advised a liver transplant, estimated to cost more than ₹1 crore. He later died of multi-organ failure at Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital.

Neema died at Ram Murti Hospital in Bareilly following a liver infection. Villagers said she had been among the first to complain about dirty tap water.

“Had Jal Sansthan acted in time, this tragedy could have been prevented,” block member Himanshu Pandey said.

The PIL cited coliform contamination at the Durgapur water source and leaking sewers. The petitioners sought free treatment and compensation for affected families.

The district magistrate and CMO have inspected the source and ordered the relocation of a sewage chamber, chlorination and fresh sampling. Schools in the affected area remain closed.