Cuttack: Amid rising cholera and diarrhoea cases in Odisha, the Orissa High Court has issued urgent directives to the Cuttack Municipal Corporation (CMC) and the district administration to jointly act and curb the outbreak, which has already claimed 21 lives and infected more than 1,700 people across the state’s coastal districts.
The court’s intervention came during the hearing of a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) concerning civic problems in Cuttack. It was informed that contaminated drinking water is a likely cause behind the rapid spread of the disease.
Taking serious note, a Division Bench of Justices S.K. Sahoo and V. Narasingh directed that drains must be cleaned immediately in the worst-affected areas — Budhithakurani Lane, Chandi Chhak, Raja Bagicha Gada, and Wards 13, 18, and 19.
“Since the cleaning of drains is intrinsically connected with supply of safe drinking water, which is essential for containing the spread of cholera, necessary steps in this regard shall be taken within the next three days,” the Bench ordered.
State-Wide Alert
Following the detection of cholera bacteria in Jajpur — where the outbreak first surfaced as a diarrhoea cluster on June 9 — the Odisha government has placed all 30 districts on high alert. According to PTI, the disease has now spread to Dhenkanal, Bhadrak, Keonjhar, and Cuttack, with sporadic cases reported in other districts as well.
Officials vs. Public Concerns
During the court hearing, CMC Commissioner Anam Charan Patra and Additional District Magistrate Shibo Toppo assured that measures were being taken. Officials from the Water Corporation of Odisha (Watco) also said they were actively working on providing safe drinking water.
However, members of the Cuttack Bar Association expressed skepticism over these claims, prompting the court to issue detailed directions for coordinated field action.
Court’s Action Plan
The High Court ordered:
- Deployment of health workers and civic staff in every city ward within a week.
- All activities to be conducted under the supervision of the Chief District Medical Officer (CDMO) and CMC officials.
- The civic teams must coordinate with representatives of the legal fraternity in each ward.
- A detailed action report must be submitted to the court.
- Public awareness drives should be initiated to warn people against consuming stale food, particularly from street vendors.
The court also ordered the CMC, district administration, and Watco to file a comprehensive affidavit detailing their actions by July 1. The matter has been posted for the next hearing on July 3.
