Proactively clean the environment and treat domestic water after floods

Many low-lying areas and riverside areas in the city have water pollution, stagnant waste, and decomposing animal carcasses, posing a high risk of infectious diseases. People need to proactively clean the environment and treat domestic water after floods.

Militia and people clean up mud at school after flood. Photo: VD

According to the Da Nang City Center for Disease Control, after floods, the environment is often heavily polluted by garbage, mud and contaminated water sources. If hygiene measures are not proactively implemented, the risk of outbreaks of diseases such as diarrhea, pink eye, dermatitis, athlete's foot, respiratory diseases, etc. is very high.

The Department of Health and regional medical centers coordinate with local authorities to urgently deploy environmental sanitation measures, treat water sources, and ensure people's health and safety.

With the motto "Where the water recedes, clean up", the grassroots medical force, organizations and people are mobilized to clean up the environment, clear mud and waste, clear sewers, and fill in stagnant water to prevent mosquitoes and disease-causing microorganisms from developing.

In flooded areas, schools, medical facilities, and evacuation areas, authorities spread lime powder, spray Cloramin B, or disinfectants licensed by the Ministry of Health . Places with animal carcasses, organic waste, or sludge are collected, buried, and treated according to regulations, minimizing the risk of widespread pollution.

Along with environmental sanitation work, medical units have stepped up guidance for people on how to handle and ensure clean water for daily life and drinking. Ward and commune health stations have coordinated to support people in disinfecting dug wells, drilled wells, and flooded water tanks. People are advised to only use treated, disinfected, or boiled water, and absolutely not use untreated well water or pond water.

According to the Da Nang City Center for Disease Control, the use of disinfectants must be done according to instructions to ensure effectiveness and safety. People should use Cloramin B, lime powder or licensed cleaning solutions, avoid mixing too high concentrations or using chemicals of unknown origin. When cleaning up after floods, wear gloves, boots and masks to avoid direct contact with dirty water and contaminated mud.

Medical staff instruct people on how to disinfect well water after floods. Illustrative photo

Doctor Nguyen Thi Tieng, Head of Hoa Xuan Ward Health Station, said that to disinfect well water after floods, people can use Cloramin B powder (10g/m3 of water) or 20% (13g/m3 of water) or 70% (4g/m3 of water) lime chloride.

How to do it: Dissolve the chemical in a bucket of water, pour it evenly into the well, pull the bucket up and down about 10 times to dissolve it evenly. Then, pour the disinfected water onto the well wall and leave it for about 30 minutes before using. If you do not smell the chlorine, you can add a little more chemical until it smells mild. Disinfected water must be boiled before drinking, do not use dirty water to wash vegetables or prepare food...

Source: https://baodanang.vn/chu-dong-ve-sinh-moi-truong-xu-ly-nuoc-sinh-hoat-sau-mua-lu-3308805.html