BHUBANESWAR: With jaundice spreading its tentacles in Cuttack, Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) has woken up from its slumber to prevent outbreak of the deadly disease in the Capital City.
Even as coordination among authorities of the civic body and utility organisation has been poor in the past, the BMC on Monday held a preparatory meeting with officials of Public Health Engineering Organisation (PHEO) for prevention and eradication of jaundice.
Sources said the BMC and PHEO have chalked out a 10-point agenda which will be implemented across all 67 Municipal Wards in the Capital City. The steps include collection of potable water samples on a daily basis in all slums.
While bleaching powder and halogen tablets are being distributed in jaundice-prone areas like slums and shanties, Communication Cell and Swachh Bharat Cell of BMC have been entrusted with conduct of awareness campaigns for prevention of the disease.
A campaigning vehicle will move during the daytime across the length and breadth of the Capital. Pre-recorded audio messages will be played in the van to educate people on the disease. Besides, leaflets, large hoardings and micro-kiosks will be put in vulnerable locations.
Awareness will be created on open defecation, hand-wash practice, use of safe and boiled water for drinking. Street plays and traditional folk media like Pala and Dasa Kathia performance are also in the Corporation's agenda, sources said.
Group level meetings are being conducted in various slums in Damana area and will be carried out in all the other slums of the City. The PHEO, under the AMRUT mission, is replacing old contaminated pipes with new ones.
Zonal Divisional Commissioners (ZDCs) have been instructed to monitor street vendors and if situation demands, they would be banned. PH Division ADM Deben Dash has been appointed as the contact person for any queries and assistance pertaining to contamination of drinking water under BMC's jurisdiction.
The awareness vehicle will be on move within a week. Awareness programmes will be started from slums in Damana area like Tarini Basti, Adivasi Basti, Mahajan Sahi, Gola Sahi, Baniya Sahi and Dukhisam colony, sources added.
Battle-ready Civic Body