Cuttack, Nov. 10: More than 80 people have been reportedly afflicted by diarrhoea since Thursday at Bidanasi, Odia Bazar, Deewan Bazar and other areas of the city. Incessant rain for days has led to waterlogging and contamination of drinking water causing diarrhoea.
Sewage had contaminated the sources of potable water such as tube wells to a great extent. The district administration constituted a special monitoring cell yesterday to check the disease.
“The health monitoring cell, comprising Cuttack Municipal Corporation’s health officer, chief district medical officer and other officials, are supervising health camps and work of doctors and paramedical staff to prevent a possible epidemic of diarrhoea,” Cuttack collector Girish S.N. told The Telegraph today.
“Most of the cases were reported from Bidanasi. Around 60 were taken ill after they ate at a feast. All of them were hospitalised. Of them, 14 are still under treatment at the SCB Medical College and Hospital,” Girish said.
He said that source of water used at the feast was yet to be ascertained.
In a move to combat possible diarrhoea outbreak, anganwadi workers and accredited social health activists have been deployed for an awareness drive to ensure that people boil water and use halogen tablets.
“The anganwadi workers are expected to make an assessment of the ground situation in all the wards of the municipal corporation limits and ensure that cases of diarrhoea are being attended urgently,” mayor Saumendra Ghose said.
Corporation’s health wing had launched a water disinfecting operation of open wells and tube wells in Bidanasi and other areas from where suspected diarrhoea cases had been reported. The water supply department has been requested to provide drinking water through tankers.
The first cases of diarrhoea were reported from two localities Khannagar and Khapuria on October 27. While around 20 persons were reportedly afflicted with diarrhoea, one of them succumbed.
Diarrhoea cases had also been reported from Mani Sahu Chakh and Chauliaganj areas on Thursday.
