Cholera scare hit the residents of a hostel at the IIT, Chennai, when students fell ill due to suspected contamination of drinking water.On Saturday, more than 15 students, who had been complaining of dysentery and nausea since the previous evening, were referred to the hospital on the campus. Of them, three, who developed complications, were rushed to the Corporation-run Institute for Communicable Diseases, Tondiarpet.According to ICD sources, the medical laboratory test report of one of the IITians confirmed cholera while the reports of the other two patients are awaited. A few residents said the problem started on Friday after they consumed regular supply water as the water treatment plant at the institute was under repair. A professor said apparently the private caterers in-charge of the hostel mess had ignored the cautionary note on serving boiled water whenever the treatment plant stopped functioning.More than 300 irate students refused to take lunch at the mess today. However, the Dean (students) Gokhale intervened and pacified them.The catering staff have reportedly been told to wash all utensils with hot water for the next few days. And students are now being supplied purified bottled water. The arrangement would continue till the leakage in the treatment plant is rectified. The Dean said all students are out of danger now and that a local monitoring committee would be set up with student representatives.
