Koraput: An unknown disease has claimed as many as seven lives in the last one month in the tribal-dominated Routput village under Dasmantpur block in Koraput district, causing panic among the villagers.
While lack of a motorable road deprived the residents of treatment, the medical authorities have remained unaware of the plight of the tribals. No medical team has reached the village to identify the disease and prescribe preventives to tackle the illness.
Meanwhile, the residents have started fleeing the village and taking shelter in their relatives’ houses and other nearby villages. The village wears a deserted look in the absence of people. Meanwhile, many cattle were also affected, it is learnt.
Among the deceased were Sabita Gouda who died on September 10; Murali Gouda (Sept 13); Hira Muduli (Sept 18); Rasmati Khara (Sept 21); Haribandhu Nayak (Oct 1); Bhaskar Khara (Oct 2) and Laxmi Nayak (Oct 5).
Meanwhile, many more people are believed to have been affected by the disease that is yet to be identified. Hundreds of villagers led by the panchayat sarpanch Niyati Giren approached Koraput district collector and submitted a written memorandum in this connection.
Located amidst hills, the village is far from development and is deprived of all basic facilities, including electricity, potable water, education, health and road connectivity.
Till date, the residents here depend on forest produce and agriculture for livelihood with no other source of income. In the letter submitted to the collector, they urged him to look into the disease that has already claimed seven lives and take necessary steps before the situation worsens.
They also demanded Collector DM to provide a road connection to the village that would serve as source of development for the villagers. Koraput Zilla Parishad chairperson Prabhu Jani also supported the villagers and demanded the Collector to look into the issue without any further delay.
The Collector assured the villagers he would look into the issues and send a medical team to the village.
PNN