The Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) has launched a major offensive against the threat of waterborne diseases in the city. The health department has significantly ramped up its monitoring, inspection, and enforcement activities across all zones to safeguard public health.
Multi-Departmental Review and Directives
Senior officials from the SMC recently convened review meetings with key departments to strengthen preventive measures. The hydraulic department received clear instructions to guarantee a safe drinking water supply and to increase its daily water sampling. Currently, the department collects an average of 400 water samples every day, and this number is set to rise. Simultaneously, the drainage department was directed to speed up repair works on leaks to prevent any contamination of water sources.
Surveillance, Inspections, and On-Ground Action
As part of a robust disease surveillance system, daily data on illnesses like typhoid, gastroenteritis, and jaundice is being gathered from all urban health centres (UHCs), SMIMER, New Civil Hospital (NCH), and 37 major private hospitals. The data reveals that in December alone, a total of 111 typhoid patients were reported across these facilities. The breakdown includes 18 cases at UHCs, eight at SMIMER, 36 at NCH, and 49 at private hospitals.
On Tuesday, rapid response teams conducted extensive surveys, covering 1,716 houses and 7,216 residents in 11 vulnerable localities within the Udhna, Limbayat, Varachha, and Central zones. During this drive, they performed 64 chlorine tests, collected 50 water samples for analysis, and distributed approximately 9,100 chlorine tablets to residents.
Cleanliness Drives and Enforcement Penalties
Parallel to the health surveys, intensive cleanliness and sanitation operations were carried out at numerous key locations across the city. These included areas like Udhna Darwaja Ring Road, Puna Canal Road, Parvat Patiya, Sarthana, Simada, and Navagam Main Road, among others.
The health department also formed special squads to inspect hygiene standards at food establishments. During a dedicated drive, 335 establishments including food stalls, hotels, restaurants, and shops were checked. This enforcement action led to the destruction of 73.75 kg of unfit food items and the seizure of 78.2 kg of banned single-use plastic. Notices were issued to 44 violators, and administrative penalties totaling Rs 1.01 lakh were recovered.
The coordinated efforts underscore SMC's commitment to preventing disease outbreaks through proactive measures, stringent monitoring, and public engagement.
