There is silence on a narrow street of Marathi locality of Bhagirathpura area of Indore after the death of Avyan Sahu, about six months old. The child’s family says he died due to an outbreak of vomiting and diarrhea caused by contaminated drinking water.
The grief of this family can be gauged from the fact that it has refused to take compensation for the death of the child born after 10 years of vows.
Local citizens have claimed that 15 people have died due to vomiting and diarrhea outbreak due to contaminated drinking water in Bhagirathpura, of which Avyan was the youngest. This claim has not been confirmed by the Health Department. According to the department, only four people have died in this outbreak.
Avyan’s maternal grandmother Krishna Sahu told PTI on Friday, “We have not yet taken any compensation from the state government on the death of the child.” Our child is gone. Now if I take compensation, will he come back? Money is not worth more than a child.
He told that his daughter had given birth to Avyan after 10 years of vows. With tears in her eyes, the child’s grandmother recalled, “Along with the child’s grandparents, I myself had prayed for his birth and I had come with a ring on Hussain Tekri.” My wish was fulfilled, but I had no idea that the child would not be able to stay with us for long.
Sahu said, “The child was healthy and his weight had increased to five kilograms.” He kept playing in his mother’s lap. One day he suddenly had diarrhea and on the advice of the doctor, he was given medicines at home. His condition deteriorated and when he was taken to the hospital, the doctors declared him dead.
He said that mother’s milk did not fill the child’s stomach, hence he was being given milk and milk powder from the market, which was mixed with water from the Municipal Corporation’s tap connection to dilute it.
Sahu said that this water was contaminated which proved fatal for the child. According to the child’s family, he died on December 29.
While Sahu’s neighbors have condolences for his family over the death of the child, there is also a touching message for the government machinery.
Anita Sen, who lives near the child’s house, said, “There is a one-month-old baby, a four-year-old boy and a 10-year-old girl in my house.” Now the government should take care that no mother should be ruined due to contaminated drinking water.