Open House: What measures should the authorities take to prevent the outbreak of diseases like diarrhoea and cholera?

Set up local health boards
The administration should take steps to nip the spread as early as possible. The diseases are water-borne and caused by contaminated food. Local health boards should be set up under the supervision of area councillors. Food inspectors should check the food served at restaurants and events. The sources of contamination must be blocked and residents should be educated not to eat raw or undercooked foods and drink boiled or bottled water only. Residents should be made aware of the fact that prevention is always better than cure.
NPS Sohal, Chandigarh

Multi-faceted approach needed
Authorities should implement a multi-faceted approach to prevent water-borne diseases. This includes upgrading water treatment infrastructure, conducting regular water quality tests, and promoting rainwater harvesting. Additionally, the authorities should organise awareness campaigns on proper sanitation and hygiene practices, provide clean water facilities, and establish a robust waste management system. Regular inspections and penalties for non-compliance will also ensure accountability.
Gaganpreet Singh, Mohali

Conduct frequent water quality tests
The Mohali administration should prioritise upgrading water treatment infrastructure, ensuring regular maintenance and conducting frequent water quality tests. Implementing community education programmes on hygiene, constructing proper sanitation facilities and establishing rapid response teams for outbreak management are crucial. Collaboration with NGOs for clean water initiatives and strict regulations on industrial waste disposal can further safeguard public health, ensuring long-term solutions to prevent diarrhoea and cholera outbreaks.
Amanjot Kaur, Mohali

Invest in robust water treatment systems
The authorities must urgently invest in robust water treatment and distribution systems, ensuring regular testing and maintenance. Implementing stringent hygiene standards for handling food is crucial. Community awareness campaigns on disease prevention, proper sanitation, and washing hands are essential. Additionally, effective waste management and drainage systems are vital to prevent water contamination.
Gurdev Singh, Mohali

Decentralise water supply system
Authorities should also consider decentralising water supply systems, promoting community-led sanitation initiatives and investing in water recycling technologies. They should also establish early warning systems for outbreaks and provide incentives for adopting safe water practices. Regular review and revision of existing policies and protocols can also help stay ahead of evolving public health challenges.
Gurpreet Kaur, Mohali

Implement affordable connection scheme
Authorities should launch public-private partnerships to improve water infrastructure, implement affordable water connection schemes for low-income households, and establish water quality monitoring apps for citizen engagement. Moreover, they can integrate the topic of water safety into school curriculum, provide subsidies for household water filters, and create incentives for businesses to adopt water-conserving practices. By fostering a culture of water stewardship, authorities can ensure a safer and healthier community.
Sahibpreet Singh, Mohali

Emphasise thorough cooking of food
To prevent the outbreak of diarrhoea and cholera, authorities should ensure access to safe water by promoting bottled, chlorinated, boiled or filtered water. Frequent washing of hands with soap and safe water should be encouraged. Alcohol-based hand sanitisers can be an alternative when soap and water are unavailable. Emphasise thorough cooking of food and peeling raw fruits and vegetables as consuming hot, well-cooked meals reduces the risk of infection. Improving water supply, sanitation, and food safety is mandatory in the long term.
Sargunpreet Kaur, Mohali

Carry out sanitation operations
Cases of diarrhoea and cholera are raising its ugly head post unprecedented rains and waterlogging in Mohali as usual. The administration must start door-to-door campaigns to distribute chlorine tablets. Water tankers must be made available in all areas prone to the diseases. ORS drinks must be supplied free of cost to every household and hospitals must be adequately equipped with the same. Extra beds must be available in paediatric wards of government and private hospitals with proper arrangement for intravenous fluids. Proper sanitation and fogging operations must be carried out. Setting up of a helpline exclusive for such cases would also be helpful.
Yash Khetarpal, Panchkula

Regular quality testing of water
Regular quality testing of water is a must to ensure clean supply in the city. Sanitation infrastructure should be improved to prevent sewage mixing with drinking water. Industrial units must be checked to discharge any pollutants into water bodies. Regular health check-up camps should be held to screen people for recurrence of the diseases. Steps may also be taken for an advanced water purification system with latest technology.
Harinder Singh Bhalla

Regularly clean overhead tanks
It is matter of great concern that the graph of cholera and diarrhoea cases has gone up due to contaminated water in Mohali district. All underground sumps and overhead tanks should be cleaned before the onset of monsoons. All external water pipelines leaking should be repaired on emergency basis. Lastly, residents should also help authorities by cleaning their overhead tanks periodically. It will help prevent spread of diarrhoea and avoid stagnation of water in open places.
Col TBS Bedi, Mohali

Promote vaccination in high-risk areas
To prevent diarrhoea and cholera, access to clean water and proper sanitation — including building clean toilets and sewage systems — should be ensured. Communities should be educated and awareness must be spread on benefits of handwashing, food safety and hygiene. Cholera vaccination in high-risk areas should be promoted. The authorities' main priority should be to manage waste effectively and control vectors such as flies. Further development and practice of emergency response plans for rapid outbreak containment and mitigation should be done to reduce the risk of disease.
Charvi Raheja

Ensure chlorination of water before use
The following measures can be taken to prevent the issue: proper chlorination treatment of water before use; a joint committee may be constituted between administration and civic body in public interest; the committee may take daily test samples of water; regular checking of areas where water is stagnant must be conducted and treatment should be undertaken; regular public awareness camps should be held; overhead water tanks, dump vehicles, coolers, stand posts in markets and low lying areas and colonies near areas where water is stagnant should be checked; and the health staff may be increased during rainy season.
Kirpal Singh, Chandigarh

Launch awareness drives in villages
The Health Department should take proactive measures to protect residents from these water-borne and vector-borne diseases, especially during rainy season. Awareness drives should be launched; medical check-up and relief camps should be set up; ambulance, distribution of chlorine tablets, zink pills, bottled filtered water and chlorinated water should be made available by dedicated teams in all vulnerable areas. Water supply and Sanitation Department should continue to check pipelines to identify and rectify the areas where water is being contaminated.
Vijay Shukla, Chandigarh

Inspect all water connections
The primary cause of the spread of diarrhoea and cholera is the unauthorised water connections and the use of pumps, which create low pressure, allowing contaminated water to enter tanks. The authorities should conduct a physical inspection of all water connections by a stipulated date and issue challans for such trespasses. The municipal corporation should take water samples from all the affected areas. Wherever the samples fail, alternative water sources should be provided and the pipes should be repaired immediately. The super suction machines should work overtime to clean and desilt the sewage lines on priority. The capacity of sewage treatment plants also needs to be increased as a long-term measure.
Brigadier Advitya Madan, Chandigarh

Strictly enforce quality standards
To prevent the outbreak of diseases caused by contaminated water, the Mohali administration and civic bodies should implement measures such as water treatment and testing, regular maintenance of water supply systems, public education and awareness campaigns, and stricter enforcement of water quality standards.
Prithvee Yakhmi

Admn should Adopt principle of 3Rs
Heaps of solid and C&D waste was disposed of near banks of the drain in Sector 36. In Punjab, increasing trends indicate discharge of untreated waste water into N-Choe. The drain carries domestic untreated waste water of villages located in the adjacent areas, which has caused cases of cholera in Mohali. Rather than releasing sewage waste into water bodies, it is better to treat the waste before discharge. If the secondary treatment of water has been carried out, then it can be reused in sanitary systems and agricultural fields. Adopting the principle of 3Rs — reuse, reduce and recycle — will help in overcoming the effects of water pollution in Tricity.
Capt Amar Jeet, kharar

Check underground pipes for leaks
District administration and civic bodies should gear up efforts to test water supplied and used for drinking. Wider awareness and education campaigns about drinking boiled water in villages and the urban areas are needed to target vulnerable populace. Non-destructive techniques can detect leakages in the decades-old underground water supply piping network against any mixing-up with sewage or other earthy contaminations.
Lalit Bharadwaj, Panchkula

Cleanliness is a joint responsibility
The major cause of these diseases is ingestion of unhygienic food or unclean water. It has been noticed that the rainy season invites such problematic conditions due to continuous moisture in the air. Providing potable water to citizens is the sole responsibility of the administration, but maintaining cleanliness is the administration and the general public's joint responsibility. The authorities concerned should have started pre-monsoon preparations to adopt precautionary measures to meet any threat. Continuous cleaning of the affected areas and immediate medical support to patients must be undertaken.
Surinder Paul Wadhwa, Mohali

Promote proper sewage disposal
Ensuring access to safe drinking water and adequate sanitation facilities is crucial in preventing cholera transmission. This includes promoting proper sewage disposal, handwashing practices and disinfection of water sources. Vaccination against cholera can be an effective preventive measure. Oral cholera vaccines are available and recommended by the World Health Organisation for use in affected populations. Educating communities about the transmission routes of cholera and promoting hygienic practices empowers individuals to protect themselves and their families from infection. Surveillance systems for early detection of cases, coupled with rapid response mechanisms are essential in containing outbreaks and preventing further spread.
Sanjay Chopra, Mohali

Use purification methods for water
Special care of water supply should be taken in monsoon. Leaked pipes should be repaired and water purification methods be followed to keep water-borne diseases at bay. People should be exhorted to use drinking water only after boiling. Use of alum and chlorine in water can also be helpful.
Abhilasha Gupta, Mohali

Waterlogging primary reason for outbreak
Risks of water contamination are high during rain, leading to outbreaks of hepatitis A, shigella, cholera, typhoid and other such ailments. Inefficiency in managing drainage systems and maintaining the quality of water leads to the spread. Proper management of waste and chlorination of water bodies at regular intervals must be done by the Mohali MC. Waterlogging during rainy season is the primary reason behind the spread of diarrhoea and cholera in Mohali. The administration has failed to make sure that cleaning of drainage must be done before rainy season. Preventive measures include providing clean drinking water and better sanitation facilities to residents.
Vijay Malia, chandigarh

Distribute antibiotics free of cost
The administration should check such outbreaks and ensure safe drinking water for all. A door-to-door survey of diarrhoea and cholera inspection should be initiated by Asha workers and PHW workers. The prevention of diarrhoea and cholera is dependent on access to safe water, adequate sanitation, basic hygiene needs and well-cooked food. Rehydration, intravenous fluids and antibiotics help recover from such outbreaks. The administration should distribute antibiotics to people at such outbreak affected places free of cost.
Adish Sood, amloh

Residents should be self-sufficient
Residents should be self-sufficient and not dependent on the administration. People should be vigilant and take the reins to curtail catastrophic consequences of these diseases by using preventative measures like cleaning the house and boiling drinking water before consumption.
Parisha Khatri, Chandigarh

Check on safety standards of vendors
The repeated outbreaks of diarrhoea and cholera in Mohali is a reminder of the compromised safety and cleanliness of food and drinking water in the city, which is also a major violation of basic human rights. The authorities need to make sure that the daily water supply is properly filtered. Awareness should also be spread among people to enhance their knowledge about the importance of drinking boiled water and consuming well-cooked food. The city's administration should also routinely examine the health and safety of the water being consumed in homes. Lastly, it is also important to check the health and safety standards of the roadside food vendors all across the city.
Saikrit Gulati, Chandigarh

Authorities should monitor interventions
The recent outbreak of cholera and diarrhoea in some villages in Mohali is an eye-opener for the government officials responsible for providing safe potable water to people. Availability of safe drinking water for the affected population is essential to reduce its spread. Access to safe drinking water in unaffected areas, which are at high risk for cholera should be the primary responsibility of the government. Safe water intervention should begin with an improved water source and be followed by safe water collection, handling and storage. The authorities should monitor interventions that provide access to safe water to prevent cholera.
Anil Kumar Yadav, Chandigarh

Question for next week

The recent arrest of a constable and a woman for extorting money from an NRI by planting drugs in his car and threatening him with a false case has raised serious concerns. There was a similar incident last year, in which a sub-inspector extorted Rs 1 crore from a businessman. What steps should the Police Department take to prevent abuse of power by cops?

Suggestions in not more than 70 words can be sent to openhouse@tribunemail.com