Over 200 people shifted to newly set up quarantine centre

Most of these people had been in close contact with the deceased or sick persons, the officials said on Thursday, adding that the decision forms part of a proactive approach to ensure the safety and well-being of the community amid prevailing concerns.

The entire village was a day ago designated as containment despite no viral or bacterial aetiology found in the cases handled by the doctors, so far. As part of the move, comprehensive surveillance measures have been put in place and Section 163 of the 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) which gives the power to issue orders in urgent cases of nuisance or danger is being enforced in the area for immediate compliance. Among the 17 deaths that occurred in the village in the recent weeks, 13 were children in the age group of three to fifteen years.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah told reporters here on Thursday that the investigation into the mysterious illness is underway and the government will get answers soon. He said that as of now the concerned authorities have not found any virus or bacteria and a medical team, the officials of J&K police’s Special Investigation Team (SIT) and the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA)-led inter-ministerial teams which have visited the village are ascertaining the reasons behind the deaths and “they will get the answers soon”.

Last week, a J&K government spokesperson had said that the investigations and samples empirically indicated that the incidents were not due to a communicable disease of bacterial or viral origin and that there is no public health angle. The J&K had earlier set up a SIT after certain neurotoxins were found in the samples of the deceased.

At the weekend, the district authorities sealed a spring in the village after its water tested positive for some pesticides and insecticides. The high-level inter-ministerial team formed by Home Minister Amit Shah spent more than six hours in Badhaal on Monday for an on-the-spot investigation. The team which was accompanied by experts from some of the most reputed institutions of the country interacted with locals and officials and collected various samples for comprehensive analysis.

Officials said that three of the four people, including three female siblings, who are latest victims of the mysterious disease were airlifted to a hospital in winter capital Jammu by the Indian Air Force (IAF) and that they are currently under observation. The health officials have identified a common factor among all those who lost their lives due to the mysterious illness as involvement of the brain and damage to the nervous system. Ruling National Conference (NC) leader and local MLA Javaid Iqbal Choudhary has demanded the imposition of a medical emergency to save people and contain the spread of such a mysterious illness.

The officials said that a new quarantine centre was set up in the nursing college of the Government Medical College Hospital in Rajouri on Wednesday and, so far, over 200 people have been shifted there as a precautionary measure to break the chain.

An official spokesman said that the district administration has introduced an array of measures to prevent the situation from escalating which include replacing the existing supplies with safe food and water to the households in the affected localities.

“The designated officers are tasked with maintaining a logbook with three daily entries documenting food distribution and consumption to safeguard public health and contain the spread of the situation,” the spokesman said. He added that in order to contain the situation and prevent further escalation, the area has been divided into three containment zones which include the locality of families which suffered deaths.

The affected houses have been sealed, and entry is strictly prohibited without permission from the designated officer. The other two zones are the homes of the families identified as having contacts with the affected families. “It was on the direction of Divisional Commissioner Jammu that the Deputy Commissioner Abhishek Sharma ordered immediate relocation of close contacts and high-risk contacts of affected families from Badhaal to Nursing College and Government Medical College (GMC) Rajouri,” the spokesman said.

The Animal and Sheep Husbandry Department has been tasked with deploying officials to manage and take care of domestic animals left behind in the village, ensuring their safety and proper upkeep. “The district administration is working round the clock to provide all necessary assistance and appeals to the public to cooperate fully with the containment measures,” an official statement issued in Rajouri said.