Even though the flood situation considerably improved in Badrachalam with the water level in Godavari river dropping below 40 feet at the temple town on Sunday evening, the unhygienic conditions in the flood-affected areas in both Badrachalam and Palvancha divisions have exposed the people to the potential danger of various ailments more particularly to vector-borne disease.
According to sources, diarrhoea had broken out at the flood-hit Lachapuram village in Dammapeta mandal on Sunday.
Over 20 villagers fell sick after they reportedly consumed contaminated water in the village. Several other villages in the flood-hit mandals are reeling under the unhygienic conditions due to the stagnant flood waters.
The hospitals including the government area hospital in Badrachalam are virtually packed with patients from the flood affected areas. Mosquito menace coupled with the insanitary conditions has already taken a toll on the public health system in the flood-hit areas.
Close on the heels of the death of three persons due to fevers in Cherla mandal in the past three days, a tribal woman reportedly died of viral fever at Dulapuram village in Wajed mandal on Sunday.
S. Ramakka, 50, succumbed to viral fever at Dulapuram even before an ambulance reached the village following restoration of the road link on Sunday, sources added.
‘Under control'
When contacted, the District Medical and Health Officer Dr. Vishnu Mohan said the health situation in the flood-affected areas is under control.
“The natural deaths should not be construed as deaths on account of ailments,” he maintained.
On the outbreak of diarrhoea at Lachapuram in Dammapeta mandal, he said that the Rural Water Supply (RWS) staff had detected contamination of water in the village.
They were attending to the work, he said and added that a medical team was deputed to the village.
Meanwhile, the additional joint Collector Subash Chandra Bose said that the water level in Godavari receded to 39.7 feet on Sunday evening.
Focus on sanitation
The relief camps would be conducted for few more days till the marooned houses of the flood victims were cleaned. Special focus was laid on sanitation and assessment of the losses in the flood hit areas, he said.
