Systemic failureIn fact, the outbreak of cholera and diarrhoea in relatively developed coastal districts has laid bare the systemic gaps in the state’s public health and water infrastructure. As per the latest data of Panchayati Raj and Drinking Water department, the industrially and mineral-rich Jajpur is one of the bottom-10 districts in terms of piped drinking water coverage. On record, a little over 72 pc of the households (3.22 lakh out of 4.47 lakh) in the district have tap water connection. While Keonjhar district tops the chart with 99.63 pc households (3.45 lakh out of 3.47 lakh), Malkangiri has the lowest coverage of 54.5 pc households (67,731 out of 1.24 lakh).The average coverage of tap water connection in districts affected by the outbreaks stood at around 84 pc against the state coverage at 76.8 pc households (68.11 lakh out of 88.68 lakh). While 19 districts are in the range of above 75 pc, 11 districts are in between 51 pc to 75 pc range. Har Ghar Jal certification has been completed in 9,435 villages and 403 gram panchayats.Acknowledging that several drinking water projects have been delayed by years, officials said 18,533 single village projects (groundwater-based projects) have been commissioned and 1,289 are under implementation. Of the 207 mega water supply projects, only 16 have been completed and 191 are under various stages of implementation. Similarly, 4,855 solar projects have been completed and 3,652 are under various stages of implementation. The pending mega projects will be completed by the end of next year, they said.Amid the hype over sustained inclusive growth and industrial expansion, the diarrhoea outbreak has exposed the public health scenario. “Economic growth cannot be achieved without foundational public health and infrastructure. Diseases like cholera thrive where governance is weak. If a government cannot guarantee safe water and sanitation, it means the development model is fundamentally flawed,” said public health expert Dr Tribhuban Mohan Mohapatra.Of the 314 faecal and rectal swab samples tested so far, Vibrio cholerae has been detected in 35 samples. A 14-member central team, which visited the state to support the containment measures, also attributed contaminated water to the outbreak.Minister for Health and Family Welfare Mukesh Mahaling said drinking water sources were chlorinated and disinfected in areas with suspected water contamination. “Public announcements are being made in the affected areas of the district advising people to use boiled water. Prophylactic doses of doxycycline are being administered to family members and close contacts to break the chain of the waterborne disease,” he said.Panchayati Raj and Drinking Water minister Rabi Narayan Naik outrightly denied that water contamination could be the cause of the outbreak. “The water sources have not been contaminated. We have completed chlorination of all water sources. As many as 5.2 lakh tube-wells have also been disinfected. The diarrhoea might have spread due to consumption of contaminated food,” he observed.
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