Indore (PTI): A laboratory test has confirmed that a vomiting-diarrhoea outbreak, which has killed at least four patients and affected over 1,400 people in Indore, was caused by contaminated drinking water, officials said on Thursday.

The findings of the test report substantiated that a life-threatening drinking water supply system prevails in Madhya Pradesh's commercial capital, ranked as India's cleanest city for the last eighth years.

Indore's Chief Medical and Health Officer (CMHO) Dr Madhav Prasad Hasani told reporters that a laboratory report prepared by a city-based medical college confirmed drinking water was contaminated due to a leakage in a pipeline in the Bhagirathpura area, from where the outbreak has been reported.

He did not share detailed findings of the test report.

Officials have said a leakage was found in the main drinking water supply pipeline near a police outpost in Bhagirathpura at a spot over which a toilet has been constructed. They claimed the leakage led to contamination of the water supply in the area.

Additional Chief Secretary Sanjay Dubey told PTI, "We are closely examining the entire drinking water supply pipeline in Bhagirathpura to find out if there is any leakage elsewhere."

He said after inspection, clean water was supplied to households in Bhagirathpura through the pipeline on Thursday, though as a precaution people have been advised to use the water for drinking only after boiling it.

ALSO READ:  Congress and NCP (SP) to contest separately in Nagpur civic polls

Drawing lessons from the water tragedy in Bhagirathpura, the senior bureaucrat informed that a standard operating procedure (SOP) will be issued for the entire state to prevent such incidents in the future.

Dubey visited Bhagirathpura to review the situation on instructions of Chief Minister Mohan Yadav.

A health department official said during a survey of 1,714 households in Bhagirathpura on Thursday, 8,571 people were examined. Of them, 338 people showing mild symptoms of vomiting-diarrhoea were given primary treatment at their homes.

He stated that in the eight days since the outbreak, 272 patients were admitted to local hospitals, of whom 71 have been discharged so far.

At present, 201 patients are admitted in hospitals, including 32 in intensive care units (ICUs), the official added.

Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.



Barcelona (AP): Real Madrid slapped players Federico Valverde and Aurélien Tchouaméni with half-a-million-euro ($588,000) fines on Friday for their altercation during practice.

The massive fines came a day after the midfielders tussled when the team trained. Valverde said in a post on social media on Thursday that no punches were thrown. But Valverde knocked his head on a table and he suffered a small cut that required a brief hospital visit.

On social media, Valverde initially called it a “meaningless fight” with a teammate and said “everything has been blown out of proportion."

His employers, however, considered it a significant enough breach of team discipline to nail both Valverde and Tchouaméni with fines that bite even the bank account of a top soccer player. The half-a-million euro penalties reflect the reputational damage the club was enduring in a chaotic end to a disappointing season.

In a statement, the 15-time European champion said its disciplinary action was concluded after both players expressed to the club “their complete remorse for what happened and apologized to one another.”

Madrid added they also apologized to their teammates, the coaching staff and club supporters, as well as showing their willingness to accept whatever disciplinary action the club deemed “opportune.”

Tchouaméni was back training with Madrid on Friday, two days before they play at Barcelona in a clasico. Madrid has to win otherwise Barcelona will be crowned La Liga champion.

After being notified of the fine, he posted a public apology to the club and its fans on social media.

“What happened this week in training is unacceptable,” Tchouaméni wrote. "I say this while thinking about the example we are expected to set for young people, whether in football or at school.

“Above all, I am sorry for the image we projected of the club.”

Valverde was not at practice due to the head knock.

Both players are set to play in the World Cup next month, with Tchouaméni playing for France and Valverde for Uruguay. 

Chaotic end to a poor season

===================

The run-in between the players, who for seasons have played side by side in Madrid's midfield, came after they argued this week in previous training sessions. But tempers boiled over on Thursday. Spanish media was rife with reports that the players previously disagreed over the club's decision to let coach Xabi Alonso go after just months on the job.

It was not the only altercation involving Madrid players during training this week. Álvaro Carreras confirmed he was in a “minor” incident with a teammate. Spanish media said he and fellow defender Antonio Rüdiger got into a scuffle.

Álvaro Arbeloa, the coach who was promoted from Madrid's reserve team when Alonso was fired in January, will face tough questions on what went wrong inside the changing room when he gives a press conference on Saturday ahead of the clasico at Camp Nou.

Madrid is facing a second consecutive campaign without a major trophy amid rumors in the Spanish media that club president Florentino Pérez is considering bringing back Jose Mourinho to straighten out his underperforming team.