Balasore, Oct 16 (Odisha.in) With floods distressing about 15 lakh people in all 12 blocks of Balasore district, the fears of an epidemic outbreak looming large over the flood-affected villages.
Now the water-borne diseases in the deluge-hit region have become a cause of concern for the district administration.
While the flood-affected people are yet to come to terms with the natural calamity, water-borne diseases have raised their ugly heads in the affected areas in the district.
Sources said, three persons, including a child, have died of diarrhoea in Oupada block within past two days and hundreds others are suffering from the water-borne disease.
The deceased have been identified as Sushama Patra (8), Umakanta Patra (26), both of Nischintapur village and Jhampuri Mallick (47) of Dhadasahi village.
Cases of diarrhoea outbreak have been reported from the worst hit blocks of Nilagiri, Basta, Bhogarai, Remuna, Baliapal and Sadar blocks. The situation is set to take a serious shape due to acute shortage of safe drinking water and the unhygienic living conditions of the affected population.
Medical assistance and supply of water purification materials like bleaching powder and halozone tablets to the affected parts is reportedly slow. Inaccessibility to many pockets has been cited as the reason.
Residents of Nischintapur village alleged that though the water purification materials were supplied after the floods, but still they were to be used due to the negligence of the local health workers.
Sources in the Chief District Medical Office (CDMO) however maintained that the situation is under control and medical teams have been sent to the affected areas.
“There was sufficient stock of medicines as well as water purifying materials along with anti-venom injections,” CDMO Dr N K Mishra said. “Medical relief camps have been set up in the worst affected areas to check the spurt in such incidents,” he added.
Apart from non-availability of potable water and food, the stench emanating from decomposed garbage and carcasses has worsened the living conditions.
“Hundreds of tube-wells and wells were submerged in flood forcing people to drink pullulated water as a result water borne diseases spread,” said Sadananda Mohanty, a social worker.
Odisha.in