Rath Yatra : Govt steps up measures to check waterborne diseases

Bhubaneswar : Amid diarrhoea outbreak in several parts of Odisha, the State Government has intensified measures to prevent waterborne diseases in Puri ahead of Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath and siblings. A high-level meeting was held at the Special Circuit House in Puri on Wednesday to take stock of arrangements being made for the annual car festival scheduled to be held on June 27.The meeting, chaired by Principal Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Department Usha Padhee, reviewed public health preparedness and focused on strengthening measures to ensure clean drinking water, safe food, and overall hygiene in the city. It has been planned to conduct
random testing of water samples from public and private sources, including overhead tanks and tube wells, to ensure water safety. A mobile Lab-on-Wheel will support on-the-spot testing. Disinfection of all water sources is being undertaken and will be
intensified further in the coming days, a senior official said.“As part of efforts to ensure food hygiene, Food Safety Officers will inspect restaurants, hotels, and street food vendors. Additional officers will be deployed during Rath Yatra to strengthen inspections across the city. Puri Municipality will also intensify campaigns on safe
drinking water and hygienic food through loudspeaker announcements and distribution
of I EC materials. In order to tackle mosquito menace, an agency engaged by Puri Municipality is using drone technology to spray repellents in densely populated and
inaccessible areas. Eight Executive Officers and seven Engineers have been deployed to Puri to support field-level execution, and the Director (Operations) of WATCO will oversee and coordinate water supply and sewerage operations. Padhee said public health
safety is the government’s top priority, and all departments will work in close coordination to maintain high standards of sanitation and hygiene during Ratha Yatra.

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