Cholera Deaths Worry Assam Govt

By Samudra Gupta Kashyap

Guwahati, Nov 2 : With as many as 21 deaths occurring due to an outbreak of diarrhoeal diseases, including cholera, in a cluster of tea estates in Sonitpur district over two weeks, the Assam government on Monday decided to file cases against three tea estates for gross negligence of healthcare of labourers. The government also suspended three officials of the Health Department.

Assam Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said the state government was convinced that deaths due to diarrhoea and cholera had occurred because of gross negligence of the tea estate managements.

“The government is filing cases against the management of three such tea estates — Pratapgarh, Sadharu and Baghmari — all in the Biswanath sub-division in Sonitpur,” he said.

While the first case of cholera was reported from the Sakomatho tea estate in Biswanath on October 20, the first death was reported from Pratapgarh tea estate — owned by Williamson Magor, the largest tea company — a day later, official sources said.

Since then, over 200 persons have been affected in six tea estates, with most deaths occurring in Pratapgarh, Sadharu and Baghmari, they added.