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No sign of plague in Surat, says NICD

The samples of rodents sent to the National Institute of Communicable Diseases at Bangalore after the Surat floods have tested negative for plague.

Dr Jyotsana Sokhe of the NICD told reporters over a telecommunication link that after thorough testing the samples were found to be clear.

"There is no threat of plague," he told journalists demanding "concrete proof" about the Gujarat administration's repeated assurances of there being no plague threat.

A 10-member delegation of state government officials led by Chief Secretary L N S Mukundan reviewed the relief and rehabilitation work carried out by various government and non-government agencies.

The team, which met District Collector R M Shah, Surat Municipal Commissioner S Jagdeeshan, Police Commissioner Mani Ram and different heads of various agencies, instructed officials to wind up operations at the earliest.

Later, briefing newspersons, Additional Chief Secretary (finance) K V Bhanujan, who is monitoring relief work, said a team will hold meetings with various chambers of commerce and industry associations to assess the loss. The various aspect of rehabilitation of industries and powerlooms here will be taken up the state bankers committee meeting.

Bhanujan pointed out that electricity would be restored to the town by Friday. The Gujarat Electricity Board and the Surat Electricity Company are working round the clock to restore electric supply in flood-affected areas.

For reasons involving health and sanitation, the government, civic and private doctors would work together, deploying medical surveillance teams to monitor the situation at least for three months. Though some cases of gastroenteritis and diarrhoea have been reported, all preventive measures are being taken to check the outbreak of an epidemic.

A central government team will arrive in Surat in the next two days to survey the flood-affected areas and relief operations. It will also evaluate the measures being taken to prevent an epidemic.

UNI

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