india

Updated: Jun 02, 2019 10:40 IST

The state public health department had initiated a twomonth drive to identify high-risk areas in the state which have poor portable drinking water.

The drought-like conditions in the state prompted the department to initiate a pre-monsoon drive and identify cases of waterborne diseases which are largely suspected to break-out in areas with poor portable drinking water.

The drive by state public health department that ended on May 31, recorded 17 outbreaks of waterborne diseases in the state.

“Overall, 780 cases of waterborne infection have been recorded in the last few months due to poor portable drinking water,” said Pradeep Awate, state surveillance officer and head of infectious diseases surveillance programme of Maharashtra.

Awate said, “We started the drive due to the drought-like conditions in the state. Besides this, the drive was also meant at avoiding heavy outbreaks of waterborne diseases and dealing with critical situations if any.”

He further added, “During the drive, we came across 17 outbreaks, due to water borne diseases, of which infections like hepatitis, diarrhoea, gastro and enteric fever were picked up.”

According to Awate, the districts that are worst affected by

outbreak of waterborne disease include Kolhapur, Ratnagiri, Gondia, Buldhana, Yavatamal, Amravati and Chandrapur.”

“The 17 waterborne infection outbreaks included six outbreaks of hepatitis, four of gastro, five of diarrhoea and two of enteric fever. Of all the districts Kolhapur seems worst hit,” said Awate.