The Odisha government has announced a fund of Rs. 100 crore for improvement in piped water supply system in western Odisha town of Sambalpur, where jaundice outbreak has assumed alarming proportions.
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik along with State Health and Family Welfare Minister Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak reviewed the prevailing situation.
As of now jaundice has claimed 17 lives, while more than 1,200 people were estimated to have been affected by the disease. Unofficial estimates, however, put the death toll at 30.
The State government will spend Rs. 100 crore for strengthening and upgrading the water supply distribution network in Sambalpur Municipal area.
As an immediate measure, 500 big water tanks with 6 lakh litres of water capacity along with 50 tractor-mount feeder tanks will be positioned to meet the drinking water requirement in affected areas,” Mr. Patnaik said after reviewing the situation.
“Treatment cost including diagnostic and drugs have been made free to all persons suffering from jaundice. A State level team has been camping in Sambalpur to carry out surveillance and take up various preventive activities such as testing of water, drawing blood samples and talking to street vendors and conducting awareness campaigns,” he said.
Toilets As many as 50 community toilet blocks with 100 toilet seats capacity would be set up in the town to address the toilet shortage, the Chief Minister said.
Besides, Rs 60 crore will be spent on renovation of three nullahs — Dhobijor, Haradjor and Tangana — that drain into Mahanadi.
Infected drinking water, water pollution and open defecation are said to be the two major reasons behind the spread of jaundice in Sambalpur. Slowly and steadily, more areas in western Odisha pockets are coming under the grip of jaundice.
As per Public Health Department, about 10,000 water pipelines are vulnerable to pollution as these lie very close to drains.
The PHD department said 1,500 pipelines had been repaired, while several hundred tube-wells had been disinfected.
Chief Secretary Gokul Chandra Pati and Health Secretary Arati Ahuja were also present at the meeting.
