Cuttack, Feb. 20: The municipal corporation's health squad today intensified crackdown on the sale of gupchup and other food materials at roadside kiosks as part of the ongoing measures to control jaundice outbreak in the city.

Over 1.5 quintals of food items were destroyed, and the vendors have been asked to stop the sale of gupchup, dahi bara, sugarcane juice and other items for 15 days.

Four special squads of the Cuttack Municipal Corporation conducted surprise checks on various hotels and roadside eateries at CDA Colony, Cantonment Road, Mangalabag, Bajrakabati, College Square and Dolmundai today.

The district administration is also preparing a long-term action plan to arrest the outbreak as sporadic cases still continue to be reported from various parts of the state. So far, over 130 cases have been reported since February 6, while new cases have been detected at Qadam Rasool in Dargha Bazar and College Square in the past 48 hours.

"Measures to tackle the outbreak have been intensified, and steps are being taken to ensure improvement in the sanitation system across the city," district collector Nirmal Chandra Mishra told The Telegraph.

The public health department has roped in 55 teams and the process of identification of leakages in the service and other distribution lines has been extended in several localities. The public health officials have checked the distribution lines and overhead water tanks of 66 educational institutions and hostels in various parts of the city, Mishra said.

The administration has asked the corporation officials to undertake drain cleaning job on a war footing at a review meeting held last evening.

The jaundice outbreak in Cuttack happened due to the contamination of drinking water. The removal of silt from surface drains will ensure fast detection of leakages and immediate realignment and replacement of the drinking water pipelines passing through the drainage channels in several localities.

"Around 150 sanitary staff members have been engaged in carrying out the drive. We will shortly intensify desiltation in the drainage channels with the help of machines," said municipal commissioner Gyana Das.

A district administration official said that around 193 temporary water tanks had been installed to provide safe drinking water to the residents of several localities. Over 70,000 halogen tablets have been distributed among the residents in the affected areas, including Jobra, Gahmandia, Kesharpur, Mangalabag, Thoria Sahi and other localities.

As many as 263 health workers and other members of various voluntary groups have been engaged to create awareness about the water-borne disease and its prevention.