Sambalpur: Barahaguda, a village in Bargarh district, has come to limelight with the deaths of eight persons due to kidney ailment in the past three months.

According to villagers, consumption of tube well water seemed to be the cause of the problem.

Giridhari Swain, 23, affected by kidney disease died at the VSS Medical College Hospital in Burla on Tuesday.

He was admitted to the district headquarters hospital and later referred to Burla. With the death of Giridhari, the toll of deaths due to kidney problems has reached eight. The problem has created panic in the village.

The villagers claimed that during the past three months - Rajesh Pasayat, 14, Thabira Sahu, 27, Ujala Bag, 46, Bilasini Mirdha, 32, Bhawani Meher, 57, Bhawani's son Rabi Meher, 38, and Govinda Rana, 4, had died due to the disease. The disease is affecting the residents of ward number six and seven and in these two wards, residents are completely dependent on three tube wells where they are getting yellow coloured water with iron dust.

Villagers, such as Nandini Swain, Surendra Sahu, Sankarsan Meher and Pinki Bhoi, alleged that they had no option but to use tube well water for consumption. These three tube wells were recently dug after the construction of four-lane road to Bargarh.

When the problem was brought to the notice of the district collector, Khagendra Kumar Padhi, he said that he would send a team of officials from the rural water supply department and health officials to the village for investigation .