Other States - Orissa

Old medicines dumped in river

CUTTACK: A few days ago the Orissa High Court in a terse remark observed that the State is fast turning out to be a dumping ground of fake medicines while adjudicating over a PIL pertaining to spurious saline deaths. But on Sunday, the river Mahanadi flowing near the city here turned out to be a dumping ground of fake and expired medicines resulting contamination of water.

At least six cows perished while over 20 other cattle are battling for life either after drinking the contaminated water or eating the old medicines. Even some aquatic creatures including fishes were seen floating dead in the river water near the Gadagadia temple.

“We saw some of our cows lying dead while few others moaning in pain in the afternoon. On looking out for the possible reasons, we stumbled upon huge quantities of drugs strewn all over the river water”, said Chakradhar Behera, a milkman of the locality whose cows have perished.

“This is a clear case of negligence and we are afraid who would now compensate us for our loss”, said another milkman. Police suspect that in view of the ongoing raids being conducted by the State drugs controller after the HC order, a chemist shop owner might have thrown the entire fake and expired drugs into the river water.

However, no case has been registered yet in this connection, as there is no complaint made about it till evening, said the local police inspector Ravi Satapathy.

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