Over 300 residents of Shukhobrishti complex in Action Area III are recovering from an outbreak of diarrhoea.

The complaints have all come from the complex’s E Block, which is located somewhat apart from the other eight older blocks, being on the other side of an unfinished six-lane road going towards Eco Space passing through the complex.

The block has 150 towers, with 16 flats in each and has about 60 per cent occupancy after handovers of possession took place mostly over last year.

While the symptoms started surfacing since last week, on Monday morning residents got together to launch an agitation at their facility management office. They complained of a “strong, unpleasant odour similar to bleaching powder” in the tap water and at least one member of the family being down with digestive issues.

Once the matter escalated in course of the day, the NKDA was alerted. Water samples were taken from flats of several affected residents, the supply point of the public health engineering (PHE) waterline as well as the underground reservoir of the complex.

The water supplied from the PHE line was later found to be clean but contamination was found in the underground water reservoir inside, according to sources.

Local MLA Tapash Chatterjee distributes mineral water bottles among residents on Tuesday

“The source of the contamination has not been found yet. Though it is the building administration’s duty to maintain the supply network inside, PHE is helping out by taking on the onus of the clean-up of our water lines,” said a resident.

The entire distribution network is being flushed with chlorine and bleaching powder, including 141 overhead tanks. “The water has got contaminated somehow after reaching the block. There has been no complaint from the other blocks of the complex. We are trying to locate the source of the contamination,” said an NKDA official.

Residents blamed the administration of the housing complex, built by the Bengal Shapoorji Housing Development and Shapoorji Pallonji Group, for lack of maintenance. Some alleged that water from the Kestopur canal flowing by had somehow entered the system.

Dry taps

Water supply to the block has been stopped for now. “We have arranged for water tankers from NKDA. I distributed bottles of mineral water when I visited them on Tuesday,” Rajarhat-New Town MLA Tapash Chatterjee told The Telegraph Salt Lake.

An inspection of the underground water reservoir taking place

Since the buildings do not have elevators, the building administration is reaching water to the elderly on the upper floors.

NKDA’s health department has started a medical camp on the premises since Tuesday, where patients are coming in with symptoms like diarrhoea, vomiting, body ache and loss of appetite. It is expected to continue till Friday, an attending doctor said.