CHANDPUR. May 4: Thirty people died of diarrhoea and about three thousand others were attacked by the disease in different thanas of district during the current month.

According to CMl Surgeon office sources, the badly affected areas are: Halmchar, Faridganj, Matlab, Kachua and Hajigonj. Everyday about one hundred diarrhoea patients are being treated at Matlab ICDDR'B centre. Fifty three medical teams have been working in the affected areas to check the disease.

.The paucity of pure drinking water in the rural areas has been identified as the cause of the disease.

Another report says: Over 15 thousand children In the district have been suffering from malnutrition and other intestinal disease due to lack of proper medical facilities.

It is reported that normal growth of these children is be-ing'hanlpered for want’Of Vitamins. About 80 per cent

children are suffering from various intestinal diseases. Scarcity of necessary medicine in all seven thana health complexes is a common feature.

It is further informed that Chandpur Modernised Hospital and other health complexes are not supplied with effective medicines to provide treatment to these affected children. The children living in the rural areas are suffering from malnutrition to a great extent.

Another report says: Acute scarcity of drinking water has been causing Immense suffering to the rural people of the district. It is reported that there are about 15 thousand tubewells in the rural areas of which about 3 thousand tubewells lying out of order for a long time. These tubeweils become useless due to shortage of spare parts. The rural people alleged that despite repeated appeals neither the Public Health Engineering Department nor Union Parlsad took any measure to repair the

tubewells.

As a result, the rural people are compelled to take Impure water from river, ponds and canals so, the rural people are usually attacked with water born diseases.

Another report adds: About 85 meritorious students of Chandpur district have been awarded scholarships by Chandpur Foundation, a voluntary social welfare organisation of the district. The scholarship holders will receive Taka 175 per month.

Md Yakub Ali, Deputy Commissioner and Chairman, Chandpur Foundation presided over the meeting. Md Nurul Huda, State Minister for Establishment was the chief guest in the meeting.

Nuruf Huda distributed the scholarship cheques among the students. In this connection the meeting was addressed among others by Principal Matiur Rahman, Dr M A Gafur, Quamruzzaman Chowdhury, .Md $Kafiuddfn Ahmed.