A meeting convened by District Collector P. K. Sudheer Babu at the collectorate here on Tuesday reviewed the pre-monsoon measures initiated by various departments to prevent the outbreak of contagious diseases.
At the meeting, the Collector directed civic authorities to check the growth of mosquitoes in stagnant waters.
“Each ward in a panchayat or municipality can utilise up to ₹10,000 in this regard. The civic bodies shall initiate their activities using their own funds, which will be reimbursed by the Suchitwa Mission later,” he said.
Steps will be taken to put in place an effective system to ensure the quality of potable water, the supply of which is restricted to tanker lorries having no-objection certificates of the Food Safety Department.
Stringent steps will be taken to ensure that the water for distribution is collected from certified freshwater sources.
Stringent action including cancellation of licences will be initiated against hotels and eateries found serving food in unhygienic conditions.
The Department of Animal Husbandry and Agriculture has been tasked to prevent the spread of animal-borne diseases such as leptospirosis.
While the authorities will initiate steps to kill rats, farmers should be vigilant to keep their cow sheds clean.
Directive to schools
The Deputy Director of Education should ensure that all schools in the district have adequate toilet facilities before the commencement of the new academic year. Strict action will be taken against school authorities if lapses are found. Kitchen facilities in schools and pots being used for cooking will be inspected.
Meanwhile, District Medical Officer (DMO) Jacob Varghese said the Health Department had already launched activities to prevent the outbreak of water-borne disease during the monsoon season.