Flood-hit People Vulnerable to Waterborne Diseases

VIJAYAWADA: With heavy rainfall and floods in Godavari and Krishna rivers in recent days, the inhabitants of several low-lying areas in eight districts are vulnerable to water-borne diseases like gastroenteritis, typhoid, hepatitis-B etc due to lack of access to safe potable water.

The state government listed the eight affected districts including parts of ITDA of Chintur in Alluri Sitarama Raju, East Godavari, Eluru, BR Ambedkar Konaseema, NTR, Kakinada, Krishna and West Godavari and found 67 mandals were affected. These include as many as 35 mandals in Eluru. Nearly 53,105 people were affected mainly in Eluru, Konaseema and West Godavari districts.

The government set up 529 relief camps, accommodated 3,877 people in them and organised 195 medical camps in the affected areas. As many as 37 pregnant women have been shifted to the nearby community health centres, area hospitals and district hospitals or to the nearby health camps. Moreover, 32 health institutions have also been affected by the heavy rainfall and floods.

As for the spread of diseases, the health authorities detected two cases of bacillary dysentery and 19 cases of malaria in Chintur.

Health experts say that with floodwater inundating the low-lying areas mainly in agency areas like Kukkunuru and Velerupadu in Eluru district and several villages in Konaseema district as also other areas, people find it difficult to access potable water for varied reasons and, instead, consume polluted water. This was making them vulnerable to infections or water-borne diseases.

Though there are no serious cases of waterborne diseases, health experts suggest the supply of chlorine tablets and creation of awareness among the people on how to purify the water by using such tables. “It takes only a few minutes to purify the water stored in a pot by placing a tablet in it.”

The health department supplied two lakh chlorine tablets for each affected district. Health experts also caution the state government that seasonal fevers like dengue and malaria will spread unless proper steps are not taken to control them. Conjunctivitis was also another health issue to be handled.

A health official said, “We have taken all the requisite steps to ensure the affected people do not fall victim to any health issue for whatever reason. We are conducting health camps and providing health care to them.”