Bhubaneswar: While there had been concern over dengue, now diarrhea and cholera have added to the growing public health worry, increasing the pressure on the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC). With contaminated drinking water being a major cause of diarrhea and cholera, BMC is making all-out efforts to protect city residents from infection.
Today again, joint raids were conducted by the BMC Sanitation Team and Food Safety Team across various locations in Bhubaneswar. In response to dengue, BMC teams cleaned out accumulated water in open spaces and inside homes, especially empty tires and unused containers, which serve as breeding grounds for Aedes mosquitoes.
Areas like Rasulgarh and Palasuni saw dengue awareness drives and vector surveillance activities. So far, 28 dengue cases have been identified in the Bhubaneswar area this year, with 5 new cases reported in the last 7 days, according to Dr. Deepak Kumar Bishoi, BMC’s Public Health Officer. “We are keeping a close watch on the dengue situation,” he added.
Food Safety Officer Satyajit Patel informed that today, joint inspections were carried out in Saubhagya Nagar, Delta, Prakrutivihar, Patia, and the KIMS hospital area. Food samples were tested in several hotels and restaurants, and more than 30 kg of stale food was destroyed. Additionally, a total fine of ₹30,000 was imposed on multiple establishments.
Water and food samples were collected from 10 sensitive locations and have been sent to the State Laboratory for analysis.