Cholera has claimed 11 lives in Odisha so far, with all fatalities reported from the worst-hit Jajpur district in the past week.
The state government has confirmed the presence of cholera-causing bacteria in stool samples collected from the infected individuals. A 14-member central team is scheduled to visit affected areas and assess the ground situation on Saturday night.
In response to the crisis, the state government has cancelled leave for all officials in Jajpur, around 100km from Bhubaneswar, and imposed a ban on community feasts during the three-day Raja Festival, which began on Saturday. The ban specifically targets outdoor mass gatherings involving food, and residents have been advised to maintain strict hygiene to prevent further spread. Contaminated drinking water is suspected to be the primary cause of the outbreak.
In addition to cholera, cases of diarrhoea have been reported from Jajpur and neighbouring Kendrapara and Keonjhar districts. Director of public health, Dr Nilakanta Mishra, said: “A 14-member central team, including representatives from ICMR, NCDC, WHO, and Food Safety and Standards Authority of India, will visit affected areas to assess and monitor the situation. We are taking all necessary steps to control the spread.”
In Jajpur alone, over 700 people have been affected by diarrhoea. However, Dr Mishra denied reports of a large-scale cholera outbreak. "There is no outbreak in the epidemiological sense," he clarified, adding that the state government has asked residents to contact ASHA workers if symptoms appear in their localities.
Surveillance and water quality monitoring efforts have been intensified. Affected areas in Jajpur include Jajpur Road, Danagadi, Bari and Korei. In Bhadrak, dysentery has spread to Bhandaripokhari, while in Keonjhar, the Anandpur region is impacted.
Historically, cholera outbreaks in Odisha were mostly reported from tribal-dominated districts, but this year, coastal regions are being hit. In 2023, cholera claimed 13 lives and affected over 1,000 people in Rourkela.
