Bhubaneswar: In a major public health initiative, the Odisha government has launched a week-long Special Intensive Disinfection and Cleanliness Drive across the state to prevent the outbreak of water- and vector-borne diseases.
The campaign began on July 4 and will continue until July 11, focusing especially on vulnerable districts.
Jointly spearheaded by the Departments of Health & Family Welfare (H&FW) and Panchayati Raj & Drinking Water (PR&DW), the drive covers villages, health facilities, public places, drinking water sources, and small water bodies used by communities.
Local PRI members, community leaders, and volunteers are playing a key role in the implementation of the campaign, which aims to strengthen public health measures during the monsoon season and reduce the risk of diseases such as malaria, dengue, and diarrhoea.
To monitor the initiative, 18 Special Drive Teams comprising senior officers have been deployed across the state. Each officer is responsible for field-level supervision in two districts. The teams are using a checklist-based system to ensure uniformity, accountability, and real-time tracking of disinfection and cleanliness measures.
On the first day of the campaign, impressive progress was recorded:
- 55,009 tube wells, 77,334 dug wells, 98,009 piped water sources, 4,823 overhead tanks, and 1,120 other water bodies (ponds, streams, chuas, etc.) were disinfected.
- Deep cleaning was conducted in 4,436 health facilities.
- 10,251 water samples were tested for quality.
- 18 lakh ORS packets and 7.47 lakh halazone tablets were distributed.
Over 12,155 villages and hamlets completed cleanliness activities on Day 1.
In parallel, food safety enforcement teams inspected 59 bottling plants and 1,802 roadside eateries, food vendors, and restaurants. They seized 2.87 quintals of stale food and levied fines amounting to Rs 2.22 lakh. Since the beginning of the season, approximately Rs 18 lakh in fines have been collected. Notably, 22 bottling plants and 24 water hotels/restaurants have been shut down for safety violations.
Secretaries Aswathy S. (H&FW) and Girish S.N. (PR&DW) urged all field officials to maintain the momentum and ensure 100% disinfection and cleanliness coverage by July 11.
