Bhubaneswar: At a time when the state government is planning to ply awareness vans on the streets here to spread awareness to prevent the spread of jaundice, the total of persons infected with the water borne disease jumped to 38 on Saturday.
Sources said, as many as 20 more persons were found afflicted with jaundice today. The number stood at just 18 yesterday.
To take stock of the situation, Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) Mayor Ananta Narayan Jena visited several places in the city and interacted with the people from the affected areas.
“We have directed BMC officials to make arrangements to set up around 70 tube wells at various places in Bhubaneswar. We are planning to provide pipe water connection to every household within two days,” said Jena.
The mayor, after visiting the areas, directed officials to set up water tanks and make arrangements to provide piped water to every household in Jharana Sahi, where maximum number of jaundice cases have been detected.
Worried over the situation, a high level meeting chaired by Housing and Urban development minister Puspendra Singh Deo and attended by Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) officials was held on Friday to conduct awareness programmes by plying specially designed vehicles in the affected areas for jaundice prevention.
The minister has also ordered sealing of open wells found contaminated after drinking water samples were tested by the public health department.