Thanks to the state government’s programmes – Pattana Pragathi and Palle Pragathi and Mission Bhagiratha programmes. The seasonal diseases that used to haunt the poor particularly in rural areas are now down drastically.
The malaria cases which were 11,880 in 2015 are now only 643 in 2021. Similarly, Diarrhea cases which were 4,81,564 came down to 89,591 and Typhoid cases which were 52,744 came down to 19,407 now.
As part of the Palle Pragathi programme, a massive sanitation drive was undertaken by the state government and it succeeded in involving people as well. Every local body was given a tractor, trolley, tanker and baskets to segregate wet and dry garbage at source level. The garbage which used to be seen spilled all over the roads in villages has now vanished as collection of garbage by the local body personnel has become the order of the day. The improved drainage system ensured the absence of mosquitoes now. The Mission Bhagiratha scheme helped access to safe drinking water by the rural poor. All these steps helped curb the spread of endemic and epidemics in the state.
Dr Janardhan, Epidemic Programme Officer of Ranga Reddy district said spread of diseases is due to lack of cleanliness and contamination of drinking water. Now these were tackled by the state government with the above programmes.
There were days when the officials used to hold meetings especially before the onset of monsoon. The rural poor particularly those in habitations abutting forest areas were worst affected in the past. Now all that is history.
By Gollapudi Srinivasa Rao