The Orissa High Court on Monday directed the chief district medical officer (CDMO) of Jajpur to probe the reports of the increased number of people suffering from kidney-related ailments at Golagaon.

The petition was filed by Mantu Das (34), a resident of the nearby Jhalpada area, alleging that people in the village were dependent on tubewells even as there had been serious depredation and pollution of groundwater. Appearing on the petitioner’s behalf advocate Arfraaz Suhail sought the court’s direction for providing basic civic amenities like safe drinking water and proper sanitation in the village where people were dying of kidney-related ailments.

The division bench of Chief Justice S Muralidhar and Justice M S Raman said, “The chief district medical officer (CDMO) is directed to undertake an inquiry into the complaint of 200 to 300 people suffering from kidney-related ailments in Golagaon on account of drinking polluted water.”