Jaundice plagues Cuttack Municipal Corporation again
CUTTACK: Fresh outbreak of jaundice in the Millennium City has shaken authorities of Cuttack Municipal Corporation (CMC) out of slumber. So far, nine persons have been affected by jaundice at Matha Sahi in Ward 8.
Use of contaminated drinking water due to leakage in pipelines close to drains is said to be the cause behind the resurgence of the water-borne disease.
CMC Commissioner Gyana Das, who confirmed that the outbreak of the disease was due to use of contaminated water, said the civic body is providing safe drinking water through tankers to prevent further spread of the disease.
‘’Seven to eight persons have been affected by jaundice, particularly in Ward 8. Steps have already been taken to maintain sanitation and hygiene in the affected locality by starting cleanliness drive,’’ Das said.
Water samples have already been collected from the affected locality and sent to laboratory for test.
The CMC has convened an emergency meeting on Wednesday to chalk out full-fledged strategies to combat the outbreak of jaundice, Das said.
On the other hand, scared residents of Matha Sahi have demanded replacement of leaking and damaged pipelines stretching over drains. They have also demanded desilting of overflowing drains in their localities.
The CMC authorities were in a fix to control jaundice outbreak in the first half of the year. The disease had affected more than 60 persons in the period from April to May because of use of contaminated drinking water.
During that time, the worst affected area was Jobra from where more than 45 persons were affected by the water-borne disease.