Advisory on water safety put out for rain-hit southern districts

Health department cautions people in 4 southern districts to drink boiled/chlorinated water due to floods.

The Health Department cautioned people in the four southern districts of Thoothukudi, Kanniyakumari, Tirunelveli, and Tenkasi, which had been affected by heavy rain recently, to only use boiled and cooled water or chlorinated water for drinking and cooking, since all waterbodies had been affected owing to the flood.

People have been urged to ensure the safety and quality of water supplied by water tankers before consuming it. A team, including public health experts, healthcare professionals, water experts, and sanitary inspectors, are on the field taking steps to assess the safety of waterbodies, the Directorate of Public Health and Preventive Medicine statement said.

The Department asked people to drain stagnant water and clean overhead tanks and sumps with bleaching powder before using them to store water. “People are urged to ensure the water they drink is clean as consuming contaminated water could result in waterborne diseases, such as diarrhoea and cholera,” the statement added.