A large number of residents of Karimganj South Assembly constituency in Assam’s Karimganj district are suffering from diarrhoea for the past two to three weeks.

Karimganj South constituency, one of the five Assembly constituencies in the district, comprises over 150 villages with a combined population of around three lakh, mostly farmers, fishermen and labourers.

Some of the major villages include Farampasha, Alamkhani, Kanakpur, Ishwarsree, Tamua, Balia, Keotkuna, Teghoria, Fatehpur and Nogipur.

Talking to The Telegraph on Tuesday, Faruque Ahmed, the general secretary of Model NGO, said most of the sources of water in the constituency like ponds and river tributaries have dried up completely, while most of the water supply plants have been non-functional for years.

“As a result, people have to collect and consume impure water from drains, canals and such other waterbodies. This has led to the outbreak of diarrhoea across the constituency,” he said.

About the recent situation, Ahmed said he had spoken to the joint director of health services, Karimganj around a week ago, but the matter was not taken seriously.

“The authorities will be totally responsible if the disease claims lives of people in the days ahead,” he said.

The president of Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti, Karimganj unit, Fajle Alam Siddiqui, said around 95 per cent people of Karimganj South constituency drink unhealthy water.

When contacted, the joint director of health services, Karimganj, Dr Anup Daitary said on Tuesday that necessary action would be taken in this regard at the earliest.

Karimganj South legislator Aziz Ahmed Khan was not available for comment.