Puri: With the annual Rath Yatra approaching, Odisha’s Housing and Urban Development (H&UD) Department has intensified efforts to ensure clean drinking water, safe food, and overall hygiene in Puri.

In a high-level meeting chaired by Usha Padhee, Principal Secretary of the H&UD Department, senior officials including the Puri District Collector, Superintendent of Police, and representatives from WATCO, Puri Municipality, and other departments discussed preparedness strategies.

As part of the plan, WATCO will conduct random water quality tests from both public and private sources, including overhead tanks, tube wells, and packaged water facilities. A mobile lab-on-wheels will also be stationed in Puri to facilitate on-the-spot testing.

Disinfection of water sources is already underway and will be further intensified. Additionally, Jalasathis will collect household water samples to broaden surveillance and instill public confidence in water safety.

On the food safety front, officers are inspecting restaurants, hotels, and street food vendors. Given the expected influx of pilgrims, the health and Family Welfare Department will deploy additional Food Safety Officers across the city to scale up monitoring.

The Puri Municipality has been instructed to ramp up public awareness campaigns on safe drinking water and food hygiene through loudspeaker announcements and the distribution of Information, Education, and Communication (IEC) materials.

Enforcement teams will carry out checks to curb unhygienic practices and littering, particularly around the sea beach and high-footfall areas, with police assistance for smooth execution.

To address mosquito breeding, a specialised agency engaged by the municipality is using drones to spray repellents in densely populated and hard-to-reach areas.

To ensure effective on-ground execution, eight executive officers and seven engineers have been deployed to Puri.

Additionally, the Director (Operations) of WATCO has been stationed in the city to directly oversee water supply and sewerage operations during the Rath Yatra.