The Punjab government on Thursday launched a cleaning drive in flood-affected areas of the state as water started receding, an official spokesperson said.
Heavy rains and release of excess water from Bhakra dam into the Sutlej river and its tributaries had inundated over 550 villages in six districts of the state.
To prevent outbreak of diseases or an epidemic after the floods, a massive cleaning drive has been initiated in these villages, the spokesperson said here.
Hundreds of sanitation workers from various municipalities have been deputed in these villages. Tractor-trolleys and earthmovers are being used to clean the streets, he said.
Sanitation teams have been formed in each village under the supervision of executive officers to ensure cleaning of every nook and corner and prevent the outbreak of an epidemic, he added.
"The mud, dirt, vegetation, plastic waste, etc brought by floodwaters is being cleaned up by the sanitation teams," the spokesperson said, adding that fogging is being carried out twice a day in these villages.
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The floodwaters have receded in most of the villages due to which it has become easy for the sanitation teams to carry out the cleaning drive, the spokesperson said.
Health and Family Welfare Minister Balbir Singh Sidhu on Thursday dispatched three medical relief vans to the flood-affected areas.
Besides teams of para-medical staff, these vans have teams of medical specialists, dermatologists and gynaecologists for proper medical check-up of patients.
Sidhu said these vans will ensure quality healthcare services in flood-affected areas.
Each van is stocked with various essential medicines to cater to around 5,000 adults and 2,000 children, he said, adding that 2 lakh chlorine tablets have also been sent in these vans to curb water-borne diseases.
Speaking about medical camps, the minister said health check-ups of around 17,000 people had been conducted in the camps and treatment for viral, loose motion, vomiting, skin and other common diseases was being provided.
He said vaccines for snake bite and dog bite, etc are also being provided in the state's flood-affected areas.
Sidhu said 74 teams have been constituted to tackle vector-borne diseases and they are spraying larvicide and pesticides in the affected areas.
The Punjab government on Wednesday said Rs 475.56 crore has been set aside for the flood-hit districts of the state, which faced its worst floods since 1988.
Rs 242.33 crore is being used for immediate infrastructure work and relief operations and another Rs 233.23 crore will be provided in the short and long term, after proper damage assessment and planning, it had said.
A central inter-ministerial team will soon visit Punjab for assessment of the damage caused by the recent floods in the various districts of the state, an official had said on Wednesday.
The team will also recommend whether the disaster could be considered of a "severe nature", he had said.
The floods in Punjab extensively damaged crops, particularly paddy.
People in several districts, including Jalandhar, Kapurthala, Ferozepur, Rupnagar, Moga, Ludhiana, lost their houses and belongings in the floods.
According to the Punjab government's assessment, the floods caused damage to the tune of Rs 2,000 crore. It has sought Rs 1,000 crore from the Centre as a special flood relief package.
Eight people lost their lives in the heavy rains and floods, a state government report on Wednesday said.