He said unhygienic living conditions and contaminated drinking water led to diarrhoea in the district.

'The situation is under control now. There is no report of death or outbreak from the region since Aug 21,' he said.

Bhakta Charan Das, who is representing the region in the Lok Sabha, alleged that diarrhoea has claimed at least 38 people. 'At least 38 people have died. There are no adequate doctors in the region to tackle the crisis which has taken an epidemic form,' Das told IANS.

However, the state health department maintained that diarrhoea has claimed 24 lives.