Patiala, July 12 -- The diarrhoea outbreak in Alipur Ariyan area of Patiala has claimed four lives, with 137 others falling ill, allegedly due to illegal water connections, the use of hydraulic ram water pumps and inadequate chlorination in the local water supply system, according to officials.

Officials investigating the cause of the outbreak revealed that nearly every second household in the affected area was using open-ended plastic pipes connected to illegal water supplies. These illegal connections were leaking into the main water line, leading to contamination of drinking water.

Furthermore, many households relied on hydraulic ram water pumps to draw water, a practice common in rural areas. These pumps created negative suction, wh...