CMC officials seal 2 hotels near Cuttack Railway station after surprise inspection amid cholera scare

Amid growing concerns over the statewide cholera and diarrhoea outbreak, the Cuttack Municipal Corporation (CMC) on Tuesday launched a surprise inspection drive targeting hotels and eateries in the busy Station Bazar area near the Cuttack Railway station.

Sources reported that the civic body’s health team sealed two hotels after they were allegedly found to be operating in highly unhygienic conditions, with poor water quality and substandard food preparation cited as key violations.

The raids were conducted by the CMC’s public health and food safety officials as part of a coordinated effort to prevent further disease transmission during the peak monsoon season. 

Officials inspected the food preparation areas, ingredients, and water quality of several eateries and food stalls across the busy stretch, which is frequented by passengers to the station as well as students of the Ravenshaw University.

Reports also said that the crackdown was prompted by recent diarrhoea outbreaks in nearby Choudwar and other parts of Odisha, with food and water contamination flagged as likely vectors of infection.

Sources confirmed that several hotels in the Station Bazar locality were inspected, and multiple food samples were seized for laboratory analysis. In at least two establishments, the water used for cooking and cleaning failed to meet basic safety standards, while stale and improperly stored food items were found in kitchens.

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Cuttack Joins Bhubaneswar in Raids as Cholera Concerns Escalate

The latest action mirrors similar raids conducted by the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) just a day earlier.

In the state capital, food safety teams had seized expired bread, discoloured fish, and stale food from eateries around SUM Hospital and other busy localities. One hotel was fined, and several vendors were warned for operating in unsanitary environments.

Fresh Cluster Detected in Tangi-Choudwar Block

The urgency behind the CMC's action stems in part from the detection of a new cluster of diarrhoea cases in Cuttack district itself.

At least 15 residents of Sundari village under the Safa panchayat in Tangi-Choudwar block were hospitalised over the weekend, displaying acute symptoms of the disease. Several of them are under observation at SCB Medical College and Hospital.

Meanwhile, health officials confirmed that the cholera outbreak, which initially remained confined to parts of Jajpur district, has now spread to six neighbouring districts and has gripped hundreds of people.