Girl’s death due to jaundice raises alarm

Dipender Manta
Tribune News Service
Mandi, July 30
The death of a teenage girl due to jaundice infection in Jogindernagar subdivision in Mandi district has raised alarm for health authorities in the district. Yesterday, a teenage girl died on her way to the PGIMER, Chandigarh.
In response to a sharp rise in water-borne diseases linked to potential contamination of water sources during the ongoing monsoon season, the Deputy Commissioner of Mandi, Apoorv Devgan, has announced a series of urgent measures aimed at safeguarding public health. This decision follows the observation that the current weather conditions have created a conducive environment for the spread of such diseases.
In an official order issued under the powers vested in him by the Disaster Management Act, 2005, Devgan has outlined specific directives for various authorities to tackle the situation effectively.
He has instructed all Superintending Engineers (SEs) of the Jal Shakti Vibhag to ensure safe drinking water to public by conducting regular quality tests. Additionally, they are required to form specialised teams in areas where water-borne disease cases are reported on an unusually high scale. These teams will be tasked with investigating the causes of the disease spread and implementing immediate corrective measures.
The Chief Medical Officer (CMO) has been directed to promptly report water-borne disease cases to the District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA). The CMO is also responsible for establishing specialised health teams at locations with high incidence rates and taking necessary action to manage and control outbreaks of such diseases. The District Public Relations Officer (DPRO) is mandated to launch a comprehensive awareness campaign on water-borne diseases, focusing on preventive measures to educate the public.
Devgan has instructed Deputy Directors of Higher and Elementary Education Departments to oversee the cleaning of water tanks in both government and private schools. Additionally, they are tasked with educating school children about water-borne diseases and ways to prevent them.
The Commissioner of Municipal Corporation and Secretaries of Nagar Panchayats have been directed to clean up sources of drinking water to mitigate contamination risks. The Project Officer of the District Rural Development Authority of (DRDA) has been directed to coordinate with all Block Development Officers (BDOs) to organise a clean-up drive for local water bodies and open water sources. This effort will be supported by panchayats and other local bodies to spread awareness about water-borne diseases and their prevention.
Apart from this, all Sub-Divisional Magistrates (SDMs) have been told to monitor the execution of these directives within their jurisdictions to ensure compliance and effectiveness.
These measures are taken in response to the heightened risk of water-borne diseases in the district. All departments and authorities have been urged to act swiftly and adhere to these instructions to combat the current health threat.

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Ensure safe water
All SEs of the Jal Shakti Vibhag have been asked to ensure safe drinking water by conducting regular quality tests.