At least 58 people of a Dalit settlement in Kumaigaun of Jyamrung-7 in Dhading district have fallen ill with vomiting and diarrhoea, triggering panic among locals who believe contaminated water stored in drums could have made them sick.

A social organisation had brought around a dozen drums to supply drinking water to the community.

Dr Rashila Amatya, medical superintendent at Dhading District Hospital, said saline solution was being administered to 18 persons who had to be carried to the hospital. “They are out of danger now. We have sent a team of health workers in the village to treat others.”

Dr Amatya added that contaminated food and water could have caused made them sick.

According to villagers, at least 40 individuals are still sick.

Nabaraj Majakoti, a local, said there’s no ambulance in the district to take sick people to Dhadingbesi, the district headquarters of Dhading.

Most of the VDCs in Jyamrung perennially reel under water shortage.

A social organisation called Focus Nepal, which is working to help resettle earthquake survivors in the district, had provided 12 drums each of 1,000 litre capacity. Water brought from Jhakrekhola, a stream near the village, was collected in these drums to supply water to people of Kumaigaun. 

Villagers of late were drinking water that was collected last week.

Daman BK, another local, said people started falling sick after drinking water from these drums. “The water collected in the new drums carried bad smell,” he said.

Ekraj Chhatkuli, executive director of Focus Nepal, said the drums were distributed for collecting rainwater.

“Contaminated food could have caused diarrhoea; or there could be any other reason,” Chhatkuli added, ruling out water collected in the drums as the cause of the disease. “There is no basis to say that the entire settlement fell sick because they drank water from these drums.”

Chief District Officer Umesh Dhakal said the District Administration Office would launch an investigation into the matter.