As the Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS) cases continue to rise in Pune, the local administration is under scrutiny for failing to provide access to safe drinking water to the residents of the merged villages in Pune. Recently, a central team sent to Pune to check the water in Nanded Village faced resistance, leading to a huge ruckus as both media and villagers gheraoed them.

In the video that went viral, one can see a member of the team attempting to answer questions from the media amid significant background noise. The gathered crowd caused a major traffic snarl on the roads in the area.

GBS rise in Pune

As the GBS cases continue to rise in Pune and a few other districts, the death toll associated with the disease is also climbing. After the death of a chartered accountant from Dhayari, a woman from Kirkatwadi is now suspected to have died from GBS. On Sunday, a 40-year-old man from Solapur died of suspected GBS, and prior to that, an elderly woman passed away due to GBS-related complications in Pimpri Chinchwad.

The central team sent to Maharashtra comprises seven experts from the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) Delhi, NIMHANS Bengaluru, Regional Office of Health & Family Welfare, and National Institute for Virology (NIV), Pune. Three experts from NIV, Pune, were already supporting the local authorities.

The team is working closely with the state health departments, taking stock of the on-ground situation to recommend necessary public health interventions. The central team has been tasked with monitoring the situation and coordinating with the state. Water samples from different parts of the city have been sent for chemical and biological analysis to the Public Health Laboratory.