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Bengaluru officials rule out water contamination link to eight-year-old's death in apartment complex

BENGALURU: Officials have ruled out any outbreak of waterborne disease at Prestige Falcon City on Kanakapura Main Road in Bengaluru, despite social media claims linking a childs death to an alleged infection cluster. Doctors from the Bengaluru South City Corporation and members of the apartment owners' association condemned the circulation of unverified information, warning that strict action will be taken against those spreading panic. A Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) team visited the apartment complex on Friday and collected water samples for testing. The officials said there is no outbreak, barring a few cases of infection reported from the last three weeks. Since some reports are being spread, we had to come and collect samples. No need to panic. The Corporation officials have already taken measures and issued directions to residents to keep sumps and overhead tanks clean three weeks ago, when a few cases were reported. We collected samples for reconfirmation, said an official from KSPCB. As a precautionary measure, South City Corporation officials have directed the apartment association to clean all 80 overhead water tanks. In compliance, the association shut the swimming pool eight days ago and closed an on-premises hotel four days ago as a safety step. Earlier water samples tested from the apartment complex had returned negative for contamination. Stool tests in one or two reported infection cases detected E. coli and Salmonella, which officials said were likely linked to food rather than water. The 8-year-old died due to chronic kidney and liver ailments and also had epilepsy. Some are linking it to water based infection. It appears there is some agenda behind spreading such reports, said a member of the association. Dr Balasundar, Medical Health Officer, Bengaluru South City Corporation, said no such outbreak has been found in the apartment premises. We have deployed a medical team for the last few weeks and are checking the health of residents. Our samples have also come as negative earlier. The child's death is not due to water contamination, it is just a coincidence . Some people are spreading panic, and there is a provision to take action against such persons, said Dr Balasundar. A tenant said there have been occasional cases of diarrhoea over the past month, but no hospital admissions or serious cases have been reported. Some residents were aspirants to make it into management and run the association. It appears those who did not make it are resorting to such a mechanism. The South City Commissioner and the police are likely to visit the apartment premises on Friday evening. Meanwhile, Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) Assistant Executive Engineer, Darshan, has ruled out any infection from the board's pipeline. Every three days, we are checking our lines. No contamination was found in our pipeline network, said Darshan.