Mandi admn springs into action to prevent waterborne diseases

With the arrival of the monsoon and the heightened risk of water contamination due to storage-related issues, District Magistrate Apoorv Devgan has issued a set of directives to various departments under the Disaster Management Act, 2005. The initiative aims to prevent and control seasonal and waterborne diseases across the Mandi district.

As part of this preparedness drive, the Jal Shakti Department has been instructed to carry out regular water quality checks, especially in areas prone to outbreaks. For high-risk zones, the District Magistrate ordered the formation of special response teams to monitor and curb the spread of waterborne illnesses.

The Chief Medical Officer (CMO) has been directed to promptly notify the District Disaster Management Authority of any reported cases.

To safeguard students’ health, the Deputy Directors of Higher and Elementary Education have been asked to instruct all government and private schools to regularly clean their water storage tanks. School authorities are also required to raise awareness among students about simple yet effective preventive steps.

Urban Local Bodies — along with their executive officers and secretaries — have been tasked with ensuring routine cleaning of water sources under their jurisdiction. In rural areas, the District Rural Development Agency (DRDA) and Block Development Officers (BDOs) will work to educate Panchayati Raj Institution (PRI) representatives about water safety and disease prevention.

To maintain hygiene at public transport nodes, the Divisional Manager of HRTC has been told to oversee the cleaning of water storage tanks at all district bus stands.

At grassroots level, the District Programme Officer must ensure availability of clean drinking water at all Anganwadi centres, protecting the health of young children.