Open House: Shouldn’t MC address civic issues to keep outbreak of water-borne diseases at bay?

Dedicated department required for checks

Year after year, or should I say for the last many years, we have been facing the same deadly diseases and their variants every monsoon. Unfortunately, we live in a country where we don’t believe in prepping. The drainage system wasn’t planned to accommodate such an overwhelming concrete jungle with a minimal green belt. One sharp shower and the city is under a deluge; traffic comes to a standstill, children have to wade through water to go to the educational institutions. It’s not uncommon to find areas where muddy water is running through taps. Serious diseases like malaria, dengue and gastroenteritis plague the city dwellers every year. Some even lose their lives, unfortunately. The Municipal Corporation needs to be prepared beforehand. Cleaning of drains should start in the month of March itself so that the entire city is covered before the rains start. Regular spraying of larvicide in parks and low-lying areas where water tends to stagnate, educating the community to keep their desert coolers clean and changing the water daily, ensuring proper drainage of water in low-lying areas are a few steps that can alleviate the misery of the residents. A pro-active and dedicated department is needed if we really want to address this menace, otherwise the same story shall get repeated year after year.

Manveen Mann

Conduct intensive surveillance

During every monsoon season in Punjab, the risk of waterborne diseases poses a significant health risk. Illnesses such as dengue, typhoid, chikungunya, diarrhoea and viral hepatitis can spread through contaminated water or contact with fecal matter. To address this issue, the Municipal Corporation (MC) teams need to conduct regular and intensive surveillance campaigns to ensure safe public health, sanitation, hygiene and access to clean water. This can be achieved by raising public awareness, launching a public complaint app, addressing issues regarding contaminated water supply and waste management, and implementing targeted initiatives in high-risk hotspots, on a priority basis. Additionally, measures such as fogging in vulnerable areas and actively involving the public in maintaining good hygiene practices can help prevent the spread of water-borne diseases. Clearing clogged sewerage pipelines using super suction machines, regular garbage collection on a daily basis, and instructing property holders to maintain clean water tanks and surroundings, besides eliminating potential mosquito breeding spots like stagnant water in waste containers, junked tyres, flowerpots, flowerbeds, coolers and water leakages inside or near their houses etc., are also important steps that need to be taken. Public cooperation in eliminating stagnant water, drinking sufficient water from trusted sources and, that too, boiling it before consumption, using mosquito repellents, and following personal protective measures also needs to be encouraged. Strict implementation of precautionary measures without any delay and appropriate penalty for non-compliance should be enforced to ensure public safety.

Kulwant Singh Phull

MC authorities failed to do the needful

In Amritsar, the MC awakes from deep slumber after every monsoon. This is evident from the fact that every year when monsoon sees a rise in dengue cases in city, fogging by the MC authorities is carried out in areas to finish medicinal spray. Our city’s MC is not at all serious about healthcare of the residents. Despite reports of garbage lying across the city, the MC authorities have failed to do the needful. The MC authorities are solely responsible for preventing dengue outbreak in the monsoon season by taking precautionary measures like fogging, removing stagnant water and making provisions for exit of rainwater through an effective drainage system. But who cares?

Sanjay Chawla

Maintain sanitation, drain stagnant water

Monsoons provide a sigh of relief to all living beings and vegetation from the hot and humid weather conditions, but the torrential rains sometimes give rise to a number of problems too. Various kinds of infrastructure are found crumbling and waterlogging becomes a big headache in many cities. Besides hardships to commuters, it poses a severe risk to life and property of the residents living in nearby localities. Often the stagnant water and non-lifting of garbage during rains create environmental issues and a host of viral diseases. Apart from the usual infections, body-aches, cough and stomach disorders caused by abnormal weather changes, vector-borne diseases like dengue, malaria and conjunctivitis spread due to improper sanitation and lack of care by the municipal authorities. Things become worse when waterlogging occurs even after a mild shower on potholed roads and streets, which sometimes remain unrepaired for a long time. As a consequence of the stagnant water, traffic snarls causing inconveniences to commuters and a big surge in number of patients at hospitals suffering from water-borne ailments is a routine experience. To check this recurring problem, the civic authorities need to ensure that all drainage outlets and sewers are kept in good shape for uninterrupted flow of excess water, while the state government should tackle the menace of illegal encroachments along disposal channels. As of now, the rainy season is in full swing and medical teams and sanitation workers must take all precautionary steps. The residents may also be actively involved in keeping surroundings clean and avoid street food to safeguard themselves from the seasonal diseases. Besides such vital measures for public safety, upkeep of basic hygiene by periodic spraying of disinfectants and fogging in localities at regular intervals can be helpful in preventing the spread of many water-borne ailments.

Nirmaljit Singh Chatrath

Cleanliness antidote to monsoon woes

Monsoon in Punjab is a sort of necessary evil. Although it provides relief from the scorching summer, it also invites several uncomfortable situations. Water-borne diseases such as dengue and malaria are at their peak as adequate moisture and water are available for them to spread and infect streets and people. In such dire times, some precautions by the general masses and some steps by the administration are crucial to avoid a worst-case scenario. The Rama to the Ravana of diseases is “Hygiene”. The people of Punjab should practice proper and utmost hygiene in their homes and neighbourhoods by avoiding stepping in muddy and stagnant water on the streets, and not keeping any still water at home to prevent breeding of mosquitoes. Some more precautions that can be taken include refraining from venturing out in suspect areas to prevent mosquito bites and infections. As for the government, it should make sure a monthly spray of insect repellent is done on the streets. The government should create and share awareness videos and host online seminars to educate the public about the dangers and consequences of water-borne diseases. This will help spread information and educate citizens on how to prevent and handle such illnesses.

Lakshit Jindal

Take safety measures to avoid diseases

Every year, instructions are issued by the competent authorities of Punjab Health Department to Civil Surgeon’s offices and the masses are directed how to keep themselves safe from a disease like dengue. If the person affected by dengue gets cured at his residence itself, it is better otherwise he has to be hospitalised, putting him under financial burden. Why are the Municipal Corporations and Municipal Committees not so serious over measures like fogging to check the outbreak of diseases? If the officials of Health Department, Municipal Committees, Municipal Corporations, Gram Panchayats take a serious view of curbing the menace of dengue through fogging in their respective areas, then its spread can be checked in advance during the monsoon. Fogging is carried out in some areas only whereas the need is to carry it out throughout the city and regularly at an interval of a minimum of seven days. The department and the public try to follow all the directions but sometimes with the non-availability of fogging material, it gets delayed paving the way for the diseases to spread. It is the duty of the Health Department to keep a check on the eatables that are sold in the market in the open to prevent infections. Similarly, the masses should try to use fresh and hot food items during the monsoon season rather than enjoying unhygienic food. Safety saves and safety measures adopted by you can certainly yield positive results.

Rajat Kumar Mohindru

Avoid waterlogging, penalise offenders

Every year, with the onset of monsoon, water-borne diseases like malaria and dengue start knocking at our doors. The main reason for this is attributable to accumulation of rainwater in both public and private places. In public places, mostly on roads and streets where the storm water drainage system is either non-existent or blocked due to lack of regular desilting, maintenance is the main culprit. Recently, the rainwater inundated the potholed roads in the city. The administration must take immediate measures to clear the accumulated water through the use of suction pumps. During monsoon, extra care is needed to ensure general cleanliness and prevent piling up of garbage anywhere in the city. Surprise checking of residential units should be carried out to ensure that flow of water at any place is not blocked. The offenders need to be penalised after having been issued suitable warnings. Most importantly, city health services need to be streamlined to provide quick and effective treatment to the victims of such diseases.

Jagdish Chander

MC should make people aware

We know that dengue spreads during monsoons. We can escape this if we are aware about the causes that lead to its outbreak. We can control the spread of dengue if we do not allow water to accumulate. Awareness is necessary, but it is the main duty of the MCs and other civic bodies to make people aware about the spread and prevention of dengue. Awareness is the main prevention, and fogging, along with other steps, is important to ensure sanitation. Hygiene and cleanliness can go a long way in preventing the spread of dengue and other diseases.

Sucha Singh Sagar

QUESTION FOR NEXT WEEK

Rising incidents of crime have exposed the poor law and order situation in the district. What steps should the administration and the police take to check the rising crime graph?

Suggestions in not more than 200 words can be sent to jalandhardesk@tribunemail.com by Thursday (September 5)