Bhubaneswar: In light of recent water-borne disease alerts and the upcoming Ratha Yatra festival, a high-level meeting was held at the Special Circuit House in Puri. Following the direction of Dr. Krushna Chandra Mahapatra, Minister, Housing & Urban Development Department, the meeting, chaired by Principal Secretary Usha Padhee, reviewed public health preparedness and focused on strengthening measures to ensure clean drinking water, safe food, and overall hygiene in the city.
The authorities have 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.
To ensure food hygiene, Food Safety Officers will inspect restaurants, hotels, and street food vendors. Additional officers will be deployed during Ratha 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 IEC materials.
To tackle mosquito breeding, 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.
Principal Secretary Usha Padhee emphasized that 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.
