NGOs told to distribute dry rations in Uttarakhand

The health department in Uttarakhand has issued an advisory for NGOs to distribute only dry rations in the flood-hit areas after cases of diarrhoea were reported due to eating stale food.

The government departments have been supplying dry rations only, a statement from the union health ministry said.

Constant monitoring is on under the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) in all affected districts.

"No outbreak of water-, food-, air-borne or direct-contact disease has been reported from the affected areas," a statement from the health ministry said.

Ten lakh chlorine tablets have been delivered to the state along with seven essential drugs. Uttarakhand has sought two crore Chlorine tablets, 100 tonnes of bleaching powder and three lakh ORS packets.

The National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme (NVBDCP) team is assessing the situation in the foothill districts. They have assessed the situation in Uddham Singh Nagar district.

A team of health ministry also went to Rudraprayag and visited relief camps there. Facilities there were "adequate".

A third three-member team from NIMHANS, Bangalore, for psycho-social relief work, has been deployed at Uttarkashi for relief work. Two such teams are already in the other affected district.