A suspected drinking water contamination incident in Ahmedabad’s Ghatlodia area has left hundreds of residents suffering from diarrhoea, vomiting and other illnesses, with more than 30 people reportedly requiring hospitalisation.
Residents of Gota and Thaltej alleged that between 500 and 600 people have fallen ill after consuming contaminated water. They claimed that complaints had been made to the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) for nearly four days, but authorities failed to respond promptly, allowing the situation to escalate.
Several patients were shifted to hospitals over the past two days in 108 ambulances as the number of cases increased.
According to residents, more than 700 people in Akanksha Flats, Gota, have reported health issues in the last four days. Over 100 residents of Vande Mataram Flats were also affected. Similar complaints emerged from Navratna Avenue Apartments, where around 200 residents reportedly fell ill, while more than 50 people from Vinayak Bungalows in Thaltej suffered from diarrhoea, vomiting and related symptoms.
As public anger grew, residents staged protests, prompting the Mayor and other civic representatives to visit the affected localities. Teams from AMC’s health and engineering departments were deployed, and emergency measures were initiated to address the water contamination issue. However, residents alleged that civic officials and local elected representatives visited the area only after the situation became critical.
Residents said the problem began last Friday when drinking water supplied to their homes appeared muddy and emitted a foul smell. Housing societies initially cleaned their water tanks, but the issue persisted. Despite informing municipal authorities, they alleged that no immediate action was taken.
Sources in AMC’s engineering department said a leak had developed in a drinking water pipeline near Janta Nagar Crossing. During repair work, officials reportedly discovered damage to a nearby sewer line. While the sewer line was repaired first, sewage water is believed to have entered the drinking water pipeline during the maintenance process, contaminating the supply.
The opposition Congress criticised the BJP-led civic administration, accusing it of failing to ensure safe drinking water and proper civic services. The party claimed that 30 to 40 people are still undergoing treatment in private hospitals and alleged that residents have been forced to purchase packaged drinking water due to concerns over the municipal supply.
Children, women and senior citizens were among those affected in the outbreak, raising fresh concerns over the city’s water supply infrastructure and emergency response mechanisms.