As the floodwaters have started receding, 72 relief camps in the district have already been dispersed, while people in others are in the process of cleaning up their flood-ravaged homes before moving back.
However, the Department of Health has issued strict guidelines on precautions to be taken while making houses liveable once again.
Ensuring that the walls are completely dried and no possibility of electric shock is the first step.
Windows need to be kept open to allow free flow of air to flush out stagnant air in closed and damp quarters. One should keep an eye open for snakes as they tend to take refuge in houses during floods.
Ensure personal protection by using gloves, boots, and masks while cleaning houses. More importantly, footwear should be used, and those with wounds in the body should ensure that they do not come into contact with dirty water.
Floors should be cleaned using chlorine solution, and scented solutions could be used later to get rid of the smell of chlorine.
Using bleaching powder to disinfect surroundings polluted by toilet waste is extremely important. Also, utensils should be thoroughly cleaned before collecting water in them.
People should eliminate chances of mosquito breeding in stagnant water. One should keep vigil against the spread of diseases like Leptospirosis (rat fever), dengue, diarrhoea, typhoid, and jaundice and seek medical help if symptoms are found.
The department has instructed that people should use only boiled water for drinking purposes, not to mention chlorination of all drinking water sources. Water for other domestic purposes also should be chlorinated.
People have been advised to ensure that the water in chlorinated wells is certified by the Centre for Water Resources Development and Management before use.
How to disinfect
Make a paste out of six teaspoons of bleaching powder in a bucket. Add one litre water, stir well, and allow the powder to settle for 10 minutes.
The clear solution (chlorine solution) shall then be used for cleaning the floor after 30 minutes. Wells can be disinfected using the same method.
