Huge number of renal failures is being reported in a village called Usapalli in Nellore district of Andhra Pradesh. Most of the residents of this village have been diagnosed with kidney failures and are not able to go for dialysis, leave alone kidney transplantation.

The National Institute of Nutrition (NIN) in Hyderabad is now deputing a team of experts to investigate into the cases of renal failures. Most of them diagnosed with the disease are from poorer classes, though some from upper crust of the society, too have been suffering from renal failures.

According to the NIN, exhaustive physical work and aggressive body movements by these manual labourers could be forcing them to opt for painkillers to get rid of body pains. The medicines are a handy tool which can be obtained over the counter. The daily wage earners and contract labourers gulp down analgesics almost daily, the sources said.

A group of doctors, who visited the village, found ground water contamination, too. With mica and iron ore mines abound in the area. The ground water in the village is found to be contaminated with silica. Along with the contamination of water, the excessive of analgesics is suspected to have triggered renal failure in huge numbers.

The Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, Panabaka Lakshmi, has directed the NIN to team up with Nizam Institute of Medical Sciences (NIMS) in Hyderabad to investigate into the incidents. The NIN has made all preparations to send the team and waiting for response from the NIMS.

Officials from Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) already visited the village in October last year. A team led by Deputy Director of the National Institute of Epidemelogy (NIE) B Nagarju of Chennai had collected samples of drinking water and soil as well as blood and urine samples from the patients.

In preliminary tests, the sources here said, there was no problem with the water as it contained only 0.98 ppm (particles per million) of chlorine. Until the NIN and NIMS team completes the comprehensive study of the problem, the causes for the outbreak of renal failure cannot be pinpointed. Nearly 35 people were affected with chronic kidney ailment.