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Mysterious hair loss spree in Buldhana halts but why it happened at all is unclear

Jan 18, 2025 05:27 PM IST

On Friday, the district administration issued an advisory recommending chlorination of all water resources in the tehsil, especially in the affected villages. The advisory is part of precautionary measures to ensure potable water supply

Shegaon: Even three weeks after the residents of Shegaon tehsil first reported mysterious shedding of hair and in some cases overnight balding, the reasons for the hair fall remain unknown.

Mysterious hair loss spree in Buldhana halts but why it happened at all is unclear
Mysterious hair loss spree in Buldhana halts but why it happened at all is unclear

Over 50 medical experts from Indian Council of Medical Research, from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences in Delhi, the National Institute of Virology, Pune and the local doctors have been collecting water and soil samples to get to the bottom of the villagers’ affliction.

A total of 12 villages have been affected.

On Friday, the district administration issued an advisory recommending chlorination of all water resources in the tehsil, especially in the affected villages. The advisory is part of precautionary measures to ensure potable water supply.

Kiran Patil, the Collector of Buldhana district, under which these villages fall the spread had thankfully stopped. “From the samples taken so far 40 per cent of them have shown high concentration of nitrate but there is no cause for alarm. It’s only when we began doing a door-to-door survey after the first few complaints that we got to know of the extent of the problem.”

The village of Wadi in Nandura taluka, which has a population of 1,942, seven cases of hair loss across three families have emerged, with patients ranging from ages of 3 and 45 years. In Shegaon tehsil, the affected villages include Bondgaon, Kalwad, Kathora, Bhongaon, Machhindrakhed, Hingna, Ghui, Taroda Khurd, Pahurjira, Matargaon, and Nimbi.

Patil, the Buldhana collector, put out a public statement saying, “Medical teams from across the country have visited these villages and provided medication to the affected individuals. There have been some reports of hair regrowth in certain cases, and hair fall has stopped in others. Now, we are awaiting detailed reports from the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), as several teams have collected samples and are investigating the cause. We will share the findings once the reports are available. Until then, we urge the public not to panic, and we will continue to provide them necessary health services.”

However, the ongoing situation has also led to discrimination against residents from the affected villages. A senior citizen from Bondgaon where a few cases have been reported told HT about the discrimination he is facing. “I went to a barber’s shop and he refused to shave my head because I am from an affected village.” Another villager recounted how he had been excluded from a social gathering in a neighbouring village.

“Not only have people from other villages stopped talking to us, they have even cancelled meetings to discuss proposed marriages between families from their village and ours,” said an elderly villager at Bondgaon. “Just two days ago, a family from Akola planned to visit to discuss a marriage proposal for their son and my daughter, but they have since cancelled the meeting because of the hair loss issue,” he said.

Local political leaders have expressed dismay about the discrimination being faced by the affected villagers. Narendra Khedekar, the zilla sampark pramukh of Shiv Sena (UBT), said, “The fear of hair loss has been troubling many people in Shegaon taluka for the past 21 days. The government must take this seriously and issue clear guidelines to address what people should do in such situations.” Khedekar also demanded that with all top medical institutions unable to pinpoint the cause of hair loss, it was imperative that the government called in a team from the World Health Organisation.

Despite these concerns, the sarpanch of Bondgaon, Rameshwar Tharkar, maintained that he had not come across too many instances of discrimination or boycott. “There may have been one or two isolated incidents, but nothing that is largescale.” He also added that after the visit by the ICMR team, there had been a stemming of instances of hair fall reported. “People are seeing positive effects from the medication provided. It’s true that the cause is still unknown, but this is a unique incident, and everyone is working to resolve it.”

Failed water supply schemes

The affected villages lie in the Purna river basin which is known for its saline soil and poor water quality. Studies conducted in the past have raised concerns about high fluoride levels in the groundwater, which could have potential health implications. In light of this, there have been several water supply schemes announced by the government since 2004 to improve water quality in these areas. However, none of these schemes have been successfully completed.

Khedekar pointed out that during the tenure of former chief minister Vilasrao Deshmukh he had requested the government to implement a water supply scheme for 144 villages in the region. “The plan was announced but it did not work well.” Sarpanch Tharkar also noted that the ongoing water supply project has been delayed for over two years, and residents are still relying on tanker water or purchasing drinking water at steep cost.

When asked about these allegations, Collector Patil said: “We have instructed the chief executive officer of the zilla parishad to conduct a review of the water supply projects in these villages. We will see after he gets back to us.”

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