Koppal officials told to ensure supply of safe potable water to people in rural areas

Deputy Commissioner chairs meeting after taking note of a few vomiting and diarrhoea cases

Deputy Commissioner M. Sundaresh Babu speaking at a meeting of Health Department officials at his office in Koppal on Tuesday. | Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

Taking note of a few vomiting and diarrhoea cases reported in Koppal district, Deputy Commissioner M. Sundaresh Babu chaired a meeting of senior district and taluk level officers in the Department of Health and Family Welfare at his office in Koppal on Tuesday and gave strict directions to them to ensure the supply of clean drinking water.

He also told them to keep ambulances ready at key locations so that they can be sent to the villages in case of vomiting and diarrhoea reported from there.

“ASHAs [Accredited Social Health Activists] should visit every household in every village and see if anybody is suffering from vomiting and diarrhoea. They should pass on the message to the senior officers or make arrangements to shift the patients to the nearest health centre. The officers concerned should immediately visit such village and take further action. The local level health activists need to sensitise the people on the importance of drinking safe and clean water, preferably boiled water,” Mr. Babu said.

Stressing the need for coordinated action to deal with the situation, Mr. Babu clearly said that providing safe drinking water and ensuring people’s well-being is the duty of not just the Health Department alone but of all public servants.

“No public servant or department can have a sectarian approach and leave the responsibility of maintaining public health to the Health Department alone. Gram Panchayat, Rural Drinking Water and Sanitation Department, Taluk Panchayat, Revenue Department and all other departments and public servants that work at the grassroots level should coordinate and ensure people’s well-being. Supplying safe drinking water, maintaining clean and hygienic environment, sensitising people and ensuring their participation are the key issues and officers should focus on them,” Mr. Babu said.

Chief Executive Officer of the Zilla Panchayat Rahul Ratnam Pandey told the officers to focus on the villages where cases of vomiting and diarrhoea were repeatedly reported and identify the reasons for it so that proper action can be taken.

“Vomiting and diarrhoea are often caused by consumption of contaminated water. The officers at the grassroots level should examine water before supplying it for drinking purposes. Tankers and overhead tanks and other means of water storage should be cleaned regularly,” Mr. Pandey said.

District Health and Family Welfare Officer Alakananda Malagi, who, a day before, visited Tummaraguddi village in Yelburga taluk where vomiting and diarrhoea cases were reported, told the meeting that she herself was monitoring the situation and putting all mechanisms and measures in place to keep the situation under control.

“Health centres are working in the affected villages. Enough medicine and other equipment have been supplied. Those admitted to the health centres are recovering and going back home. Taluk Health Officers, Community Health Officers and Primary Health Centre officers are in constant touch with me,” Dr. Malagi said.