Jaundice situation worsens in Ganga Mandir locality

Surjit Kumar Dhal, Cuttack, June 23: Jaundice situation is worsening in Ganga Mandir area with more persons are being affected by the water borne disease from day to day.

                As per official sources, at least 8 cases were reported on Saturday taking the total number of affected persons to 12. However, more than 25 persons in a population of 500 in the locality are said to have been affected by the disease.

Use of contaminated drinking water due to leakage in water supply pipelines close to drains is said to be the cause behind the resurgence of the water borne disease.

Apart from this, the drain water from Choudhury Bazar and Banka Bazar is also polluting the Ganga Mandir pond there by contaminating the water of two tube wells located near the pond, the locals alleged.

                 “The Cuttack Municipal Corporation(CMC) has failed to provide safe drinking water even though they had been alleging about the contamination of drinking water for the last two months,” alleged former Corporator of ward no 18 Arun Kumar Sethi.

                After several complaints, the civic body on Saturday cleaned the drain stretching from Ganga Mandir to Ravenshaw Girls High Schools. If the clogged drain was cleared before two months then there will be no resurgence of the disease, he told.

                City Health Officer Umesh Panigrahi said water samples from the locality have been collected for examination and health workers have made door to door campaign to create awareness among the locals about do’s and don’ts related jaundice beside distribution of halogen tablets.

                As per report, more than 60 persons so far have been affected jaundice this year. While 10 to 12 persons in Sikharpur locality were affected in January, 15 to 17 persons of Mahanadi Vihar area were affected in February and more than 15 person in Kathagada Sahi were affected by Jaundice.