No more stale stuff for Tribals

To check diarrhoea, dist admin has decided to provide fresh cooked food at camps for one month

RAYAGADA: With no let-up in diarrhoea cases in Kalyansinghpur block of the district, the administration has decided to adopt preventive measures in the worst-affected areas of Kalyansinghpur block of the district.

It has been decided to set up temporary camps in different villages to curb the disease which is spreading its tentacles to different areas and has so far claimed 16 lives.

Collector Guha Punam Tapas Kumar said one of the reasons behind the rising diarrhoea cases was that Dongria Kondhs consume unhygienic and stale food and also rotten beef as part of their regular diet. This leads to  diarrhoea in the rainy season.

Punam said the camps will be set up at Buduni, Parshalli, Gumma and Tebapada villages of the block where administration will provide fresh cooked food, hot water and medicines to all the villagers for one month.

The multiple health workers of medical and Dongira Kondh Development Agency (DKDA) staff will visit 35 villages on Niyamgiri hill and train tribal youths on proper food habits, health and hygiene.

Arrangements have also been made to keep the affected persons under observation in the temporary camps. The Collector said as the tribals are illiterate, there is a need to educate them on the reasons behind the problems they face.

The youths of the PVTGs community will be engaged in creating awareness on checking rising number of diarrhoeal cases as well as deaths.

Sub-Collector and Project Administrator of ITDA Muralidhar Swain will monitor the camp which will start from Saturday.  On Sunday, villagers of Bamberi, a hamlet under Parshali panchayat of Kalyansinghpur block, left their homes after four persons died of the disease in one week. Bamberi, a hamlet comprising seven families, lies about 20 km from K’Singhpur block headquarters and does not have any medical facility.

Diarrhoeal deaths have so far been reported from the villages of Phakeri, Nirgundi and Sanadengnali of Parshalli panchayat and Pidua and Palama under K’Singhpur block putting the administration on its toes.

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