Jaundice grips Cuttack city again

Cuttack: After a lull, Jaundice scare has once again gripped the city with fresh cases of the water borne disease being reported from Nuapada and other areas of the town.

The civic body has admitted the spread of disease and blamed leakage in water pipelines as the cause of jaundice.

"Ten cases of jaundice have been reported. The disease has broken out due to consumption of contaminated water. Steps are being taken to prevent the outbreak. We would set up health camps at different points, if needed, to provide treatment and make people aware about the water-bone disease," said Ajay Barik, deputy Mayor of Cuttack Municipal Corporation (CMC).

The contamination of drinking water due to ruptures in pipelines is the cause of the disease, locals said. They alleged the old pipes have not been replaced for long time, they added.

"Most of the drains are choked. The water pipes get ruptured during digging for the sewerage under the Japan International Co-operation Agency-funded integrated sanitation project, which caused water contamination," said Padmabati Swain, a local.

Most households in the city entirely depend upon piped water while pipelines have developed cracks at many places, sources said.

The PHD has taken precautionary measures to prevent the outbreak.

"We have taken preventive measures soon after detecting the symptoms of jaundice in some houses. We are supplying drinking water after purification. Samples of water from areas that have reported cases of jaundice are being collected and sent for examination. The damaged pipelines are being replaced on a war footing," said Niranjan Maharana, a PHD official.