Jammu, Jan 29: No new illness case was reported in six days from a remote village in Jammu and Kashmir’s Rajouri district which was shaken by the unexplained deaths of 17 people belonging to three families between December 7 and January 19, an official said on Wednesday.
He said the district administration under the supervision of Rajouri Deputy Commissioner Abhishek Sharma, is continuing with the intensive preventive care for the well being of the Badhaal village.
To mitigate the situation and prevent further casualties, 87 families comprising 364 individuals were shifted from the village to three isolated centres in Rajouri — Government Nursing College, Government Boys Higher Secondary School and Government Medical College and associated hospital and are under observation.
“Comprehensive arrangements have been made to ensure the comfort and safety of the affected families which are being provided with meals, water, baby food, sanitary items, medicines, clothing and other daily necessities under close monitoring of the doctors and district administration,” the official said.
On-site medical team, comprising three doctors and six paramedics, has been put on duty round the clock, he said, adding that critical care ambulances are also stationed at the venues.
Meals are prepared in kitchens under CCTV surveillance, with food samples sent for testing at NFL Ghaziabad and Patoli Food Testing Lab, Jammu, he said.
The official said Anganwadi workers and Child Development Project Officers (CDPOs) are deployed to take care of below six children, while temporary schooling arrangements are in place for school-going children.
Craft teachers and ITI instructors are providing training to individuals in tailoring and other trades. Sewing machines have been supplied by the Social Welfare Department, he said.
He said officials from agriculture, horticulture and labour departments are educating families about government schemes.
To ensure the safety of the remaining 808 households, comprising 3,700 individuals, in Badhaal, the village has been divided into 14 clusters monitored by multi-departmental teams of 182 officials.
All shops and establishments have been sealed, and ration is being provided under strict supervision, the official said, adding official teams are feeding 424 domestic animals and 168 poultry birds belonging to shifted families.
He said daily sampling of food and consumables is underway and 167 blood, urine and nasal swab samples have been collected for testing at GMC Rajouri.
A control room under the supervision of the Additional District Development Commissioner has been established to coordinate efforts, address public queries, and provide updates to prevent panic, the official said.
He said the district administration is addressing the situation comprehensively and ensuring the well-being of all affected families.
