Minister Kondapalli Srinivas Addresses Diarrhoea Outbreak in Gurla Village, Urges Calm Amid Misinformation

Minister for MSME, SERP, and NRI Affairs, Kondapalli Srinivas, has addressed recent concerns surrounding the diarrhoea outbreak in Gurla village, calling for calm and emphasizing the government’s swift action to mitigate the situation. Speaking at a press conference on Saturday, the minister clarified misinformation being spread, particularly rumors linking cattle deaths to the outbreak.

He highlighted the role of the previous government in weakening rural infrastructure, particularly drinking water and sanitation services, which may have contributed to the outbreak. The illness was first detected on October 14, prompting immediate government intervention. A medical camp was swiftly set up, with the district panchayat officer and district health officer dispatched to investigate the causes.

The minister reported that approximately 201 people showed symptoms of diarrhoea, all of whom received immediate treatment. Today, only 40 individuals remain under medical care, all with minor symptoms and expected to be discharged soon. While there were reports of eight deaths in Gurla village, only one was directly related to the diarrhoea outbreak, with the other fatalities attributed to pre-existing conditions.

The outbreak has been traced to contaminated underground water. In response, the government has shut down 277 contaminated borewells and initiated super chlorination of the water supply. To ensure safe drinking water, it is now being transported from Chipurupalli via tanker after thorough testing.

Minister Srinivas also emphasized that under the Jal Jeevan Mission, a budget of ₹14,000 crore was allocated to improve rural water infrastructure, but only ₹3,000 crore was utilized by the previous administration, leaving rural communities vulnerable.

District Collector B.R. Ambedkar Himanshu Shukla reiterated that the government’s quick response had effectively controlled the outbreak within a few days.

Former Chief Minister and YSRC president Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, however, criticized the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) coalition government for its negligence in managing public health, which he believes contributed to the tragic outbreak. In a social media post, Jagan highlighted the poor emergency healthcare in Gurla, where patients were reportedly being treated on benches in makeshift medical camps in schools.

Former Minister Sidiri Appalaraju echoed Jagan’s concerns, expressing dismay that patients were not even provided with basic beds, calling the situation “unacceptable.”