Sambalpur city has a very bitter memory of jaundice since hundreds of people died of this killer disease in 2014-15. Now, the water-borne disease has spread its tentacles in Cuttack.
And basing on the past experience, the administration in Sambalpur has become active and geared up cleaning activities. The authorities of the Public Health and Engineering Department (PHED) are now more alert than before.
The drains jam-packed with soil are being cleaned with extra manpower, and truckloads of black soil are lifted. But the sanitation is far from satisfactory in the Sambalpur municipality. Privatisation of sanitary works has helped little to bring about much improvement.
Sambalpur Municipal Corporation (SMC) Commissioner Bimalendu Ray, when contacted, said that getting complaints from some areas, the authorities have expedited the drain cleaning activities. “We also seek specific information from the people about sanitation of the city and its improvement,” he added.
The PHED also appears active in the water supply points. “After jaundice outbreak in Cuttack, there has been a lot of improvement in the water supply system in the entire SMC area that includes Burla and Hirakud townships. We have also got an updated water treatment plant to purify water. But after the Cuttack incident, chlorination has been increased further,” said Sambalpur PHED Assistant Engineer JC Dehuri.