Haldwani/Dehradun, Sept. 23 -- The Uttarakhand high court on Tuesday directed senior officials to appear in person again in connection with a public interest litigation (PIL) concerning waterborne diseases allegedly caused by contaminated drinking water in Jeolikote and surrounding villages in Nainital district. A division bench comprising Chief Justice Manoj Kumar Gupta and justice Subhash Upadhyay directed the Nainital district magistrate, chief medical officer, general manager of the Uttarakhand Jal Sansthan and chief engineer of the Uttarakhand Peyjal Nigam (Kumaon division) to appear in court on September 29. The court also sought details of the steps taken so far by a nine-member committee headed by the chief secretary to address the issue. The state government informed the court that the committee's first meeting was scheduled for Wednesday. The committee includes officials from the Jal Sansthan, Jal Nigam, State Pollution Control Board and Health Department. The court questioned the administration over why no concrete action was taken despite complaints from village heads regarding the quality of drinking water. The State Pollution Control Board informed the court that 17 samples collected from Nainital city had been found satisfactory, although some sources showed inadequate chlorine levels. Fresh samples were being collected from Sariyatal and other locations, the court was informed. The petitioner also sought water testing at homestays and hotels in the affected areas, alleging that samples had not yet been collected from these establishments. The PIL was filed by advocate Ravi Bisht, a resident of Beluvakhan, to highlight the spread of diarrhoea and jaundice in Jeolikote, Ganja, Veerbhatti, Chheena, Beluvakhan and Sariyatal. It said that two people had died and scores of villagers had been hospitalised in last few months and sought the provision of clean drinking water and free medical treatment for residents affected by the outbreak. Meanwhile, six officials of the Uttarakhand Jal Sansthan and Uttarakhand Peyjal Nigam have been suspended following an inquiry into an outbreak of jaundice and diarrhoea allegedly linked to contaminated drinking water in the Jyolikot-Sariyatal area in Nainital district on Monday evening, said officials. Vishal Kumar, in-charge superintending engineer, Jal Sansthan, Haldwani, was suspended for failing to submit a proper point-wise response to the district magistrate's notice and not regularly inspecting drinking water sources and schemes in the Jeolikote area. Mohan Singh Rawat, assistant engineer, Jal Sansthan, Nainital, was suspended for failing to ensure the supply of clean drinking water, while additional assistant engineer Ravindra was suspended for not inspecting the area despite reports of contaminated water. From the water supply corporation, junior engineer Deepanshu Sharma and in-charge assistant engineer Sanjay Kumar Arya, both posted in the construction division at Bhimtal, were suspended for failing to respond to notices issued by the district magistrate. Executive engineer in-charge Shashipal Singh was also suspended after the inquiry found discrepancies in the department's response regarding drinking water schemes in the affected area. The inquiry found that the Sariyatal, Durgapur-Dubuvajala and Bakhrikod drinking water schemes were being operated contrary to the department's communication to the district magistrate that there was no drinking water line under its jurisdiction in the affected area. However, Anish M Pillai, executive engineer, Jal Sansthan, Nainital, was issued a stern warning....