Hundred and two persons, including 30 women and 40 children, were taken ill after drinking water found poisoned with pesticide in an overhead tank at Therkku Melakottai near Tiruvarankulam on Saturday.
The residents, who complained of giddiness and nausea, were admitted to the Dr. Muthulakshmi Reddy Memorial Government Headquarters Hospital in Pudukottai. Their condition was stable, doctors said.
The problem started after water was supplied from the 30,000-litre tank in the morning.
Initially, a few villagers of South Street complained of nausea.
Sathish and Podhumponnu said they developed giddiness soon after drinking the water.
Ambulance summonedAs the water was discoloured, village panchayat workers climbed up the tank and saw a clump of some pesticide, believed to be copper sulphate, in the water.
They asked the villagers not to drink the water and alerted the 108 ambulance service at Tirumayam and Pudukottai.
Medical and paramedical personnel were camping in the village, said Syed Mohideen, Joint Director of Health (in charge).
Police compliant
Village panchayat secretary Arun Kumar lodged a complaint with the Alangudi police, alleging that some persons had dropped the pesticide in the tank with an ulterior motive.
Police sources said there had been no enmity in the village in the recent past.
Supply from SundayBlock Development Officer K. Poyyamozhi said the tank which supplies water to 250 houses (150 on South Street in the morning and 100 on North Street in the evening) was cleaned. Supply would resume after tests on Sunday, he said.
Health Minister C. Vijayabaskar; Adi Dravida Welfare Minister N. Subramanian; and Director of Public Health Kuzhandaivel visited the villagers at the hospital.
