After remaining in denial mode for days, the district administration on Saturday finally admitted that 11 children died in relief camps set up for riots victims in Muzaffarnagar district due to lack of medical attention.
District Magistrate (DM) of Muzaffarnagar Kaushal Raj Sharma confirmed that 11 children had died and said the administration is looking into reports of deaths of six more children. The Pioneer on Saturday reported about the death of nearly 60 children and 30 adults including women and senior citizens due to cold and diseases, but senior administrative officials had denied this.
On Friday, The Pioneer team had visited several relief camps of both districts and found that more than 12, 000 people were living in miserable conditions in shelters meant for riots victims. On Saturday, the officials of both districts said they had just read the news in the media and were investigating the matter. On being asked about the poor condition of relief camps the officials had passed the buck to State Government and said they cannot work beyond their limitations.
DM of Muzaffarnagar told PTI: “To prevent any deaths in relief camps, medical checkups of all victims have begun and delivery facilities for pregnant women have also provided in Government hospitals,” adding that “no victim would be allowed to deliver in the camps to avoid any untoward incident. The authorities have also decided to provide clothes and blankets to the victims in relief camps.” A relief camp organiser Gulshan Ahmed on Saturday said a two-month-old girl died due to the cold in Malakpur Village relief camp in Shamli district last evening. The camp has witnessed maximum deaths of children due to cold.
With the Supreme Court taking note of media reports of deaths of children in relief camps, the Uttar Pradesh Government had on Friday set up a high-level committee to look into the issue. The committee has directed the Chief Medical Officer to provide adequate medical treatment in relief camps and an ambulance has also been provided.
The Pioneer, on Saturday had also reported that lack of sanitation in the relief camps has turned the area into a haven for diseases. There are no health facilities for over 12,000 riot victims housed in these camps. Over 4,000 people in these camps are afflicted with innumerable diseases. Scores of people, especially the elderly and children are finding it difficult to brave the cold and the local administrations have turned a blind eye to their plight.
The locals claim that around 19 children in Malakpur, 11 in loi, 10 in two camps of Shahpur and Bassi-Kalan, six in Shamli, three in Kandhala, three in Jaula, two in Khurgan, two in Bipur, one in Barnavi, one in Dabheri Khurd have lost their lives in the last 30 days.