Threat of contagious diseases looms large at flood-hit areas

Madikeri: With people of Kodagu yet to recover from the shock of floods and landslides which has snuffed out many lives besides rendering thousands of people homeless, the Bhoomi Monitoring Cell, Bengaluru, has launched Kodagu Disaster Rescue page in its website www.parihara.karnataka.gov.in to help the victims of Kodagu disaster and now there is a threat of contagious diseases spreading in the flood-hit places in Kodagu.

Kodagu Disaster Rescue web page launched: The Bhoomi Monitoring Cell, Bengaluru, has launched Kodagu Disaster Rescue page in its website www.parihara.karnataka.gov.in to help the victims of Kodagu disaster

The web page allows citizens to seek relief for themselves, anyone else and their area, all posted requests can be seen in public domain under “Registered Help Request” so that anyone can respond to the request and also one can report missing persons and also report finding the missing persons in this web page.  

Threat of contagious diseases: Though the rain has reduced in Kodagu, there is a threat of contagious diseases spreading due to severe pollution of the river which is now mixed with mud, trees, plants and dead animals like snakes and fish among others. There has been increase in mosquitoes which are the carriers of various diseases.

There is shortage of clean water to clean houses which are filled with slush and the residents are dumping household items which are destroyed on roadsides.

The residents of Sri Saibaba Layout, Kuvempu Layout, Russel Layout, Seegaramma Layout, Indira Layout, Dandinapet, Vivekananda Layout, Yogananda Layout and Adi Shankaracharya Layout have begun cleaning their houses.

As the water used for cleaning the houses are getting stagnant in drains, there is a fear of increase in mosquitoes which may spread diseases.

The District Administration and various organisations are sprinkling bleaching powder and spraying phenyl, but the works has to be hastened to control the spread of diseases. As the town has been partially submerged, it is delaying the relief works.

To take care of the health of people in relief camps, medical units have been established in relief camps and a team of doctors and para medical staff are conducting health check ups at these relief camps but it takes time to create a healthy environment in these flood-hit places.