GBS outbreak: Divisional commissioner Pune directs disciplinary action for failure to provide clean water

Following unsatisfactory measures taken by officials to contain the Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS) outbreak and provide clean water to prevent further outbreaks of the rare nerve disorder, the divisional commissioner of Pune has directed municipal corporations, including the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), to take disciplinary action against the officials at fault.

The divisional commissioner of Pune, Chandrakant Pulkundwar, on Wednesday, March 12, issued written orders to five districts including Pune, Satara, Sangli, Solapur and Kolhapur to supply clean water to control the GBS outbreak in the state. Besides, orders were issued to the municipal commissioners of Pune, Pimpri-Chinchwad, Solapur, Sangli-Miraj-Kupwad, Kolhapur and Ichalkaranji municipal corporations, officials said. “It is necessary to supply clean water to control the outbreak of GBS in the state. Besides, disciplinary action should be taken against officers, employees who fail to implement this directive due to negligence,” said Pulkundwar.

The orders were issued by Pulkundwar following a letter put out in February this year by Maharashtra chief secretary Sujata Saunik stating that though the GBS situation is under control, it is not satisfactory. “Due to the problem of contaminated water in Pune district, cases of diarrhoea are still being reported. This can lead to a surge in GBS cases and the central government is monitoring the situation. Despite the public health department being in touch with the municipal commissioners of PMC and Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC). However, the situation is not satisfactory,” Saunik wrote.

“Considering the seriousness of the issue, immediate orders should be issued to provide clean water. Disciplinary action should be proposed against officers, employees who fail to implement this directive due to negligence. This will help prevent further outbreaks of diarrhoea and GBS cases and bring the situation under control,” Saunik further wrote.

Confirming this development, Dr Nina Borade, health chief of PMC, said, “We received the letter and appropriate measures are being taken by us. We will request the PMC water supply department to make sure that citizens get clean water supply which is safe for consumption. The IEC activities are underway in the entire city to prevent water-borne and food-borne diseases. Besides, water samples have been tested regularly and free Mediclor is being distributed by PMC.”

Pune district reported an unusual spike in GBS cases since January 9, 2025, with cases being reported in clusters from areas such as Nande Gaon, Nanded, Dhayari, Kirkitwadi and Khadakwasla, among others. The district till date has reported 230 GBS cases (201 confirmed cases) and 12 suspected deaths (six confirmed deaths). Of these 230 cases, 46 patients are from PMC, 95 are from the newly added villages in the PMC area, 34 are from PCMC, 40 are from Pune Rural, and 15 are from other districts, said state health officials.

According to officials, ever since the outbreak, as many as 7,262 water samples from different parts of the city have been sent for chemical and biological analysis to the public health laboratory. Of these samples, as many as 144 water sources have been found to be contaminated which include private and public wells, private RO plants, borewells, and PMC and PCMC water sources.