SAMBALPUR: The five water samples from Sambalpur town sent to the National Institute of Virology in Pune, have tested negative for jaundice virus.
These samples were drawn from the pump house at Balibandha, water treatment plant at Mudipada and public standposts at Nandapada, Kunjelpada and Gurudwarapada.
The Health Department, though, has decided to send more water samples to the National Institute of Virology. A joint task force has been formed by the department to arrest the spread of the disease.
This was informed by Health Minister Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak, who along with Health Secretary Arti Ahuja and Housing and Urban Development Minister Pushpendra Singh visited the town on Saturday and reviewed the situation.
Housing Minister informed that 70 per cent of the drinking water pipelines were lying close to the drains. Due to leakages in the pipelines, the drain water is seeping through and contaminating the water meant for drinking.
Informing that a public health team from Bhubaneswar is working in Sambalpur town, the Health Minister said jaundice tests in all the Government hospitals and health centres are being done free of cost.
Of the 29 Wards under Sambalpur Municipality, 24 Wards have been affected by jaundice. The disease has taken an epidemic form in Wards 8,10,14,15,16,17 and 20.
In the review meeting, it was decided that immediate measures will be taken to contain the disease in the severely affected seven Wards and old pipelines in these areas would be replaced with new ones. From Sunday, people in these seven Wards would be provided water through tankers till the pipelines are replaced.
Jaundice has claimed 10 lives so far this year and as per reports of the Sambalpur Hospital, 818 persons were affected by the disease. The administration’s study revealed that more jaundice cases were reported from Old Sambalpur area.
Collector Balwant Singh said the administration is taking all necessary measures to contain the disease.
The entire town has been divided into various zones and ASHA volunteers engaged to undertake survey on drinking water provision and location of PHD connections.