Cuttack: After a year, outbreak of jaundice has triggered panic among the residents of Cuttack city after 10 families in Nuapada area of the city were found afflicted with the water-borne disease.
Alleging that the outbreak of the disease is due to ruptures in drinking water pipelines, the residents of Nuapada area said the authorities of the Cuttack Municipal Corporation (CMC) and the Public Health Department officials have not taken any steps till date to replace the old drinking water pipelines.
Admitting of the jaundice outbreak, Ajay Barik, deputy Mayor of CMC, Ajay Barik said steps are being taken to prevent the outbreak. He also informed that the Health department would set up health camps in the affected areas to provide treatment and make people aware of the water-bone disease.
He also said that lack of coordination between the Public Health Department and the Japan International Co-operation Agency (JICA), which is currently undertaking the underground sewerage works in the city, has resulted in the rupture of drinking water pipelines.
A PHD official said that the department has started supplying purified drinking water in the affected areas. Besides, samples of water from the affected areas have been sent for examination and the work for replacement of the damaged pipelines has begun on a war-footing, he added.
Meanwhile, the district collector visited the affected areas of the city on Monday. After interacting with the people, he directed the CMC and PHD officials to take up necessary steps at the earliest to prevent the disease from spreading to other areas of the city.
