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Public Health / Sanitation

SK Garden battles filth, water shortage

Wednesday, 22 September 2010 10:46 administrator
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The New Indian Express  22.09.2010

SK Garden battles filth, water shortage

Debris dumped at the premises of a defunct maternity home.

BANGALORE: The residents of SK Garden ward are facing lot of problems due to unhygienic conditions. They want the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) authorities to take measures to end mosquito menace.

The SK Garden ward consists with a number of slums. Most of the residents belong to the below poverty line families. Many people were suffering with fever due to unhygienic conditions at these slums.

It was said that three people from SK Garden ward died of dengue fever.  “One of my relatives died of dengue fever recently. We have made several requests to the BBMP authorities to keep the surrounding areas clean but in vain. It has become difficult for us to cope with mosquito menace,’’ said Thirupal, a resident of ITC Layout.

The water shortage is another problem here. The people are compelled to fetch water from a public water tap situated one km away from the ITC Layout.

 “We have been demanding the BWSSB and BBMP authorities to supply drinking water. There is a plenty of water at areas where people do not pay property tax. We are not getting water despite paying property tax to the BBMP and water bill payment to the BWSSB,’’ says V Usha, a housewife.

Devikarani Sridhar, corporator, said that she had requested the BBMP Commissioner to take measures to cover the open drain with concrete slabs.

“Covering the open drain with concrete blocks will be a solution for mosquito menace. I expect the BBMP Commissioner to sanction funds to take up the work as early as possible,’’ said Devikarani.

She said that efforts were being made to improve the water supply. “I will meet the BWSSB authorities to supply more water to ITC Layout and other areas,’’ said Devikarani Sridhar.

Last Updated on Wednesday, 22 September 2010 10:49
 

Survey completed for Rs 945-crore sanitation project

Tuesday, 21 September 2010 11:36 administrator
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Business Standard  21.09.2010

Survey completed for Rs 945-crore sanitation project

The preliminary survey has been completed for the Rs 945-crore 'Orissa Integrated Sanitation Improvement Project' to be executed in the twin cities of Cuttack and Bhubaneswar and funded by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

According to the survey, three sewerage treatment plants would be installed at Cuttack and a network of 321 km of sewerage lines would be laid which would have a pumping capacity of 45 million litres per day (MLD).

Similarly, six sewerage treatment plants would come up in Bhubaneswar and 180 km of sewerage lines would be laid with a combined pumping capacity of 50 MLD.

The state Chief Secretary B K Pattnaik on Saturday reviewed the progress of the project. The additional development commissioner R N Senapati; finance secretary Jugal Kishore Mohapatra; principal secretary (housing and urban development) Arun Panda; water resources secretary Suresh Mohapatra; secretary (revenue and disaster management) R K Sharma and the Cuttack district collector Kishore Mohanty were present at the meeting.

It has been decided to constitute a small monitoring committee to oversee the implementation of the 'Integrated Sanitation Improvement Project'. This committee would have officials from the departments of water resources and housing and urban development as well as from railways, National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and JICA.

The implementation schedule of the project is from December 2009 to February 2015.

The executing agency for the project is the Orissa Water Supply and Sewerage Board. The onus of operations and maintenance will be on Public Health Engineering Organization (PHEO), Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) and Cuttack Municipal Corporation (BMC).

This project requires land acquisition of 48 hectares. The project site is not located in and around an sensitive areas such as national parks, and it is likely to have a minimal adverse impact on the natural environment.

In this project, it is planned to implement measures for the operation and maintenance organization that will include reduction of the unaccounted for water, restructuring of the tariff system, financial improvement, human resources development, strengthening of public relations and public awareness activities and participation of the private sector.

Last Updated on Tuesday, 21 September 2010 11:39
 

Mosquito breeding grounds in BMC hitlist

Tuesday, 21 September 2010 10:49 administrator
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The New Indian Express  21.09.2010

Mosquito breeding grounds in BMC hitlist

BHUBANESWAR: Dengue and cholera have spread their tentacles in southern Orissa and  apprehending a possible outbreak in the Capital City, the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) has decided to launch a drive which would contain both.

The measures will take on both contaminated water sources and mosquito breeding grounds.

The first target would be water pouches which do not confirm to quality   standards. The corporation has decided to crack down on those vending  packaged water which does not bear BIS ISI certification.

Municipal Commissioner Gadadhar Parida said the health unit of BMC is all set to launch a drive against the vendors. Since a number of such manufacturers  are located both in southern and coastal pockets, where cholera organism is found existent, the target is to check the supply of packaged water.

‘’We are aware of the fact that non-standardised packaged water is one of the major reasons of contamination that leads to the communicable diseases. We have decided to put in place our health teams to inspect the vendors and stem the rot,’’ Parida announced.

While cholera remains a worry, it is dengue which is causing much more headache to the civic body. A recent study had found that Aedes, the mosquito that plays the carrier, is found in abundance in the capital. Once the  dengue parasite spreads, it would be difficult to control the menace and the BMC is aware of the threat it could pose. Given the state of construction works in the capital and urbanisation process,  the breeding grounds for the vector population are dime a dozen.

The municipal commissioner said a special strategy has been chalked out for  sanitation. Each ward has been divided into four divisions. Every Sunday, all  the health workers of the ward would be mobilised into one division to clear water sources and waste materials which lead to growth of the Aedes population.

Special attention would be given to regions adjoining the temples in the city  which serve food and waste is generated. A drive would be launched to clean the premises and the adjoining areas, Parida said.

Last Updated on Tuesday, 21 September 2010 10:53
 
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