Odisha Govt Steps Up Water Bourn diseases Prevention Measures in Puri Ahead of Ratha Yatra

Bhubaneswar: Following the direction of Dr. Krushna Chandra Mahapatra, Minister, Housing & Urban Development Department, a high-level meeting was held today at the Special Circuit House, Puri, to review the public health preparedness in light of recent Water Bourn Diseases alerts and the upcoming Rathayatra festival. The meeting was chaired by Usha Padhee, Principal Secretary, H&UD Department, and was attended by the District Collector, SP Puri, and senior officials from WATCO, Puri Municipality, and other line departments.

The meeting focused on strengthening measures to ensure clean drinking water, safe food, and overall hygiene in the city. WATCO will carry out random testing of water samples from both public and private sources, including overhead tanks, tube wells, and packaged water units. To support on-the-spot testing, a mobile Lab-on-Wheel will be stationed in Puri.

Disinfection of all water sources is being undertaken and will be intensified further in the coming days. In addition, Jalasathis will collect water samples directly from households for testing, which is expected to expand surveillance coverage and build confidence among the citizens regarding water safety.

Food Safety Officers are actively inspecting restaurants, hotels, and street food vendors to ensure food hygiene. In view of the heavy footfall expected during Rathayatra, the Health & Family Welfare Department will be requested to deploy additional Food Safety Officers to strengthen inspections across the city.

To spread public awareness, Puri Municipality has been directed to intensify campaigns on safe drinking water and hygienic food through loudspeaker announcements and distribution of IEC materials. Following this, enforcement teams will conduct checks on unhygienic practices and littering, particularly in areas around the seabeach. Police support will be provided to ensure smooth execution of these drives.

To tackle the issue of mosquito breeding, an agency engaged by Puri Municipality is using drone technology to spray repellents in densely populated and inaccessible areas. In order to support the field-level execution of all these measures, eight Executive Officers and seven Engineers have been deployed to Puri.

Further, the Director (Operations) of WATCO has been stationed in Puri to oversee and coordinate all water supply and sewerage-related operations on the ground.

Principal Secretary Usha Padhee reiterated that ensuring 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 this critical period.