Punjab government issues post flood action plan

Chandigarh, August 26, 2019: On the directives of Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh, a the Post Flood Action Plan with exhaustive guidelines has been issued to District Administration Jalandhar to save human lives and animals from diseases and to restore normalcy.
The State government has directed Deputy Commissioner Jalandhar to immediately bring it into action, informed an official spokesman of Government of Punjab. Likewise, all the Deputy Commissioners of flood hit areas including Kaputhhala, Roopnagar, Ferozepur, Ludhiana, Fazilka and Moga have also been asked to implement the same.
The guidelines explicitly state that Economic, Physical and Mental wellbeing of the affected citizens should be taken care of. Categorizing the nature of responsibilities of the district level officers, the Civil Surgeons have been asked to carry out IEC activities to educate the masses about diseases which usually occur post floods. Personal protection methods like boiling water, proper cooking of food, washing of hands, use of ORS and Zinc tablets personal hygiene and cleanliness of surroundings has to be communicated. Information on water borne diseases like diahorrhea, vomiting cholera, vector borne diseases like Malaria, Chickengunia and Dengue etc, skin and eye diseases has also to be conveyed. In a one of its kind of actions recommended, in order to boost the morale of flood victims, State Government has suggested to rope in counsellors for prevention of psychological diseases arising out of acute stress.
It has been directed to advance special care for management of outbreak of epidemics. Outreach medical camps are to be established to provide Medicine, Counselling and for referral services to higher centres.
The Water Supply and Sanitation Officers have been directed to provide clean drinking water and regular supply of chlorine tablets. They are to provide potable drinking water to various flood affected villages through water tankers until the restoration of water supply schemes. They are to inspect the toilets facility of the various residents of the flood affected villages and take suitable measures accordingly.
Vaccination of livestock against diseases like H.S and F.M.D is to be undertaken by the veterinary teams. They will work in the villages and will provide treatment / vaccination to sick animals. They are to procure feed/fodder/toori from the Animal Husbandary Department and distribute among the livestock owners. Each team will be responsible to undertake disposal of dead animals under their supervision.
Mandi Board officials are to undertake repair of flood affected Link Roads for making them motorable within a week.
District Development and Panchayat Officer is to ensure disiliting of water and repair of streets and drains in the flood affected villages. Maximum Work may be provided to the MAGNREGA Job Card Holders of the flood affected areas so that the affected People can earn their earning.
Food and Civil Supplies department has to ensure supply of Ration and water where ever needed. Power supply is to be restored at the earliest.
Deputy Registrar Co-operative Society has been asked to report regarding the flood affected Societies and loss of stock of fertilizer, if any. As a measure to give relief to the flood effected members of the cooperative societies, Department has been asked to work out a proposal to convert certain short term loans of the members into medium term loans and to facilitate member farmers for sowing next Rabi Crop, Fresh Short term loan/ Agriculture inputs be advanced to the concerned farmers.
It has been directed that compilation of data pertaining dead / drowned animals be done by the relief teams for extending compensation of cattle head that succumbed to floods.
Besides, loss to life and property and the estimated crop area damages are to be assessed at the earliest for the distribution of relief/grant.

BALBIR SINGH SIDHU ASKS CIVIL SURGEONS TO PERSONALLY MONITOR ONGOING MEDICAL CAMPS IN FLOOD AFFECTED REGIONS
Chandigarh, August 26, 2019: The Health & Family Welfare Minister Balbir Singh Sidhu today issued instructions to all Civil Surgeons to proactively monitor the ongoing medical camps being undertaken by the Government in the flood affected regions.
The need to ensure all medical facilities reach all those needy timely and regularly was paramount, the Minister said lauding the department for their wholehearted efforts in this regard. He said that state government would suitably honour officials and officers for their commendable service
Disclosing this here today, Balbir Singh Sidhu said that to avoid any epidemic and after effects of stagnant and polluted water which causes water borne, vector borne, skin and other communicable diseases, the medical camps are being organised in the flood affected area by the Health Department since August 18. As many as 10,755 patients have been treated in the medical camps and no deaths have been reported till now. He also said that the Civil Surgeons are duty bound to ensure the availability of all essential medicines in the medical camps.
Divulging about camps organized in badly affected villages which are cut off due to water logging, the minister said that 20 Medical Mobile Teams in District Jalandhar and 21 Medical Mobile Teams in District Kapurthala have been deputed per village. “Instructions have already been issued to the Civil Surgeons to personally monitor the functioning of medical camps so as to ensure the quality treatment services”, he added.
The Health Minister further stated that ORS and chlorine tablets are also being distributed. Although, Civil Surgeons have been directed asked to locally purchase chlorine tablets and in case of an emergency the Punjab Health System Corporation would make the necessary arrangements of the chlorine tablets. He said that as per report submitted by the civil surgeons all affected districts have adequate stock of necessary medicines. Ambulances have been kept ready with medical camp for referral cases.
He also said that stock of larvicide and insecticide has already maintained with districts under the National Vector Borne Diseases Control Programme. He said that the District teams have now been working to identify high risk areas in the respective flood affected villages and cities so that pre measures would be taken to avoid any epidemic.
He appealed to the people of State that in wake of any outbreak report in ravaged area, anyone can contact at toll free number 104 helpline to get medical help.

WATER RESOURCES MINISTER MIDST ACTION FOR FIFTH CONSECUTIVE DAY
Chandigarh, August 26, 2019: Rising up to the occasion, the Punjab Water Resources Minister Sukhbinder Singh Sarkaria remained midst relief and rescue operations for the fifth consecutive day. The Minister personally supervised the plugging of various breaches that arose out of flood fury in various districts across the State.
Heaving a sigh of relief at situation being finally under control, the Water Resources Minister expressed satisfaction over work of plugging the breaches.
During his visit to Phillaur on Monday the Minister appreciated the swift pace of plugging work at the breaches in Phillaur sub-division. He informed that breaches including 380-FT in Meonwal, 180-ft in Meonwal Dera Pathra and 165-ft in Mau Sahib were plugged at war footing. While the work of plugging in remaining breaches in Phillaur sub-division would be completed in the coming days, said he.
Sarkaria, who has been camping in Jalandhar for past few days to give fillip to the plugging work, said that officials of administration and Water Resources department and the religious organizations worked tirelessly for plugging the breaches.
Likewise, he said that there is no shortage of funds and added that the state government led by Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh is committed to provide relief to the flood ravaged villages of the district at the earliest.
In the meanwhile, Health Minister Balbir Singh Sidhu reviewed the post flood relief operations at Ropar and directed to expedite rehabilitation of the flood hit families. He visited the Dispensary and the Medical camp in village Phool. Health Minister directed the medical teams to ensure adequate supply of medicines and also educate people on personal protection methods like boiling water, proper cooking of food, washing of hands etc. He asked the doctors to undertake all required to check the outbreak of post flood epidemic.