http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/coimbatore/We-are-lucky-to-stay-alive/articleshow/7689714.cms
'We are lucky to stay alive'
A Subburaj, TNN | Mar 13, 2011, 02.56am IST
COIMBATORE: The pastoral quiet in Kumarapalayam hamlet, 18 km from
Coimbatore city, is shattered. As official cars vroom into the dusty
hamlet, the shocked villagers heave a collective sigh of relief. "We
are lucky to be alive. The poisonous water could have easily wiped out
all the villagers in Kumarapalayam," says 30-year-old M Chellamal, a
farm worker.
Before the crack of dawn, Chellamal woke up to fill her tank with
drinking water. As she drank a few sips of water, she immediately
suffered from irritation in her throat and headache. By then word had
got out that the water was contaminated as a few villagers were on the
streets spreading the word around. Chellamal was rushed to the
hospital. She was put on drips and given detoxification shots. Back at
home on Saturday afternoon, Chellamal said, "I am feeling a little
better. But it is a miracle that I am alive."
Most of the villagers in this hamlet are agricultural labourers from
the Vanniar caste and about 10 per cent of them are Dalits. Both
communities live in harmony and are supplied water from the same
borewell. This is the first time that something like this has
happened. "There is no communal enmity in our village and we live
harmoniously. We don't know why they have poisoned our drinking
water," says 34-year-old farmer S Muniappan.
The panchayat president M Lakshmi said a piece of paper claiming that
Nataraj was responsible for the incident' was found near the borewell.
"But there are five people with the same name in our village. And one
of them had even consumed the water and fallen sick," she said.
Another victim, A Palanichamy, an agricultural labourer, who was
walking to the fields in the morning, stopped at the public tap to
drink water. "After drinking the water, I went to the farm for work.
But I could not hold the shovel and nearly swooned. Then, I staggered
back home and was rushed to the hospital."
Doctors from the primary health centre will be camping in the village
for the next one week. "Fortunately, most villagers had not consumed
the water. So, there was no casualty," said Dr D Anuradha from the
primary health centre at Sokkanur.
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