Governor stresses the need to ensure clean drinking water

• Calls for extensive awareness campaign to combat water born diseases

Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla today chaired a meeting at circuit house Parwanoo in Solan district, and held discussion with district administration, and various concerned departments to address the recent surge in diarrhoea cases in the area. Emphasizing the increased risk of water-borne diseases during summer, he stressed the need of ensuring clean drinking water to the people of the area.

The Governor reviewed the measures taken by concerned departments in response to the reported diarrhoea cases and urged swift identification of causes leading to the drinking water pollution. He advocated for the formation of a combined team for this purpose and commended the diligence shown by the administration.

Governor Shukla also sought updates on the treatment of diarrhoea patients and expressed satisfaction with the efforts made for both treatment and prevention. He emphasized the need for extensive public awareness regarding preventive measures against water-borne diseases. He urged the regular cleaning and chlorination of water storage tanks and boiling water before consumption.

Deputy Commissioner Solan, Manmohan Sharma provided detailed insights into the ongoing intensive campaign to combat diarrhoea and other water-borne diseases in Parwanoo. He highlighted the swift formation of a specialized task force, comprising representatives from the Health Department, HIMUDA, Jal Shakti Vibhag, and various other relevant departments immediately upon detection of the issue. The task force is conducting regular meetings to keep an eye on the situation and tackle problems swiftly. Samples of water from sources, treatment plants, and water tankers supplying water have been collected and sent for testing.

 Manmohan Sharma also informed about the initiation of a comprehensive campaign across all nine wards of Parwanoo Municipal Council to investigate water pollution sources. The campaign will involve employees from the Municipal Council, HIMUDA, PWD and the Health Department. So far, there has been a decrease in diarrhoea cases in the area.

 Health department teams are conducting door-to-door visits, distributing chlorine tablets for water tank cleaning and ORS packets for affected individuals. Block Medical Officer Dharampur has been directed to test drinking water on regular basis.  HIMUDA was also asked to oversee water source cleaning and chlorination. An extensive awareness campaign involving Asha workers, Municipal Council, Secretaries of Gram Panchyat Taksal and Jangenshu and local organizations has also been launched.

Superintendent of Police, Solan, Gaurav Singh and officials from Jal Shakti, HIMUDA and other senior officers attended the meeting.

The Governor also paid a visit to the local hospital to enquire the well-being of the diarrhoea patients and distributed fruits to them. Lady Governor Janaki Shukla also joined him during the visit.