Before monsoon, NDMC chalks out plan to control water-borne diseases

NEW DELHI: The New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) is gearing up for the monsoons. A detailed action plan has been submitted by the council’s health department on

NEW DELHI: The New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) is gearing up for the monsoons. A detailed action plan has been submitted by the council’s health department on the measures to control water-borne diseases this year.

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“With the monsoons due to hit the city, we wanted to be prepared with preventive measures to control the spread of water-borne diseases, which are rampant this season. These diseases have great chances of turning into an outbreak and we wanted to have a definitive plan for it,” said PK Sharma, medical officer, NDMC.

The implementation started from Tuesday morning, when a team of health inspectors examined all the roadside food vendors around Connaught Place. The team will continue inspections outside schools and hospitals in the coming week.

“Selling of unhygienic eatables and ice creams by unlicensed stalls has been banned, especially outside schools. Import of ice creams from neighbouring states is also being regulated,” the action plan read.

Apart from these inspections, the council has also started providing additional tankers of potable drinking water to JJ clusters. T he residual chlorine level in the water is being particularly maintained at 0.5 to 1PPM with zero bacterial count, in each tanker.

Teams are also inspecting water pumps in the area. Shallow water pumps are being dismantled or being stamped red, with boards of ‘water not fit for drinking’.

Desilting of all drains has also been completed in several localities.

The council has set a deadline of June 30, for the completion of desilting in all drains.

“All the hospitals and dispensaries under our jurisdiction have been ordered to give a stock of their medical supplies and call for additional stock as per need. We have also ordered dispensary staff to distribute free sachets of chlorine tablets and packets of ORS to patients,” said Sharma.