Jajpur, April 28: An outbreak of diarrhoea has spread panic among the residents of Sunachara village in Korei block of Jajpur district.

At least 32 people have been affected by the waterborne disease. Eight of them are serious, reports said.

According to residents of the affected village, drain water is discharged into a pond. In the absence of hand pumps in the village, most people use the pond water and fall victim to diseases. “The community pond is vital for the villagers in absence of the hand pumps. Though the village has a hand pump, it is lying defunct for the last couple of months,” said Anadi Malik, a local resident.

“The pond water is contaminated. But we are compelled to consume it because we have no alternative,” said Banamali Jena, another villager.

Health department sources confirmed that the affected people contracted the illness after consuming the contaminated water from the village ponds.“We have treated over 32 affected villagers. Eight of them have been shifted to the area hospital at Jajpur Road after their condition deteriorated,” said Mrutunjaya Das, pharmacist at Pachhikote primary health centre.

“We have disinfected the village community pond, which the villagers have been using for all purposes, and distributed water pouches and medicines to the affected villagers,” he added.

On Thursday, a team of doctors visited the affected village and provided medicines to the patients. The team collected water samples from the village water bodies.

“Consumption of contaminated water and unhygienic food are believed to be the main cause for the spurt in diarrhoea cases. Health workers also have been pressed into service to supply medicines and ORS packets to affected persons immediately,” said Jajpur chief district medical officer Sukadev Mohanty.

“We have distributed water pouches and medicines to the affected villagers. The water sample of the localities has been collected for testing,” said Mohanty.

All preventive measures have been taken and there is no reason to panic, he said.