Balangir: Two girls returned positive results for jaundice on Monday, sparking panic among residents of the Kadampada locality.

Five persons from the locality, including three from one family, are undergoing treatment for the water-borne disease. Local residents suspect supply of contaminated piped water to the area as the reason behind the spread of the disease. The disease claimed three lives when it reached epidemic proportions in 2015.

On Monday, Jinu Kumbhar, 33, and his two daughters - Barsha, 9, and six-year-old Payal - went to the District Headquarters Hospital for treatment. Jinu said the blood test report revealed that her two daughters were suffering from jaundice.

"The doctor had advised to do a blood test and both my daughters tested positive for jaundice," he said.

"I had also taken a blood test a few days ago and it confirmed jaundice."

The doctor asked the youngsters to get admitted for treatment, but Jinu said there was no bed available. Two other persons from the same locality are also undergoing treatment for jaundice.

After news spread, a team of health officials including district health department's sanitary inspector Debesh Rout, Balangir municipality sanitary supervisor Narasingha Deep, and two health workers visited Kadamapada on Tuesday and conducted a health check-up of the residents. They also surveyed the residents' health status and the sanitation scenario. They also collected samples of the piped water.

A local resident said the piped water was getting mixed up with drain water because of leaks in the pipe.

"The water pipe in the locality runs along the drain. The sewage valves of the pipe is damaged and, as a result, drain water getting mixed with piped water," said Sunil Sahu.

Chief district medical officer Sugyanendra Mishra said: "Contaminated piped water could be a reason for the disease. We have asked the public health engineering organisation to repair the sewage valves of the pipe to avoid contamination. For the time being, the residents have been asked not to use the piped water."

He said the situation was under control.

Freedom fighter dies

Freedom fighter Goura Chandra Mohapatra died after prolonged illness in Bhadrak on Tuesday. He was 104.

He breathed his last at the Bhadrak District Headquarters Hospital at 5.40pm.

He was married to Mira Devi and had nine sons and four daughters. One of his sons, Prabhukalyan Mohapatra, is a journalist. He was the son of nationalist poet Kantakabi Laxmikanta Mohapatra.

Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik condoled the demise of the centenarian freedom fighter.