Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Wednesday asked union health minister Mansukh Mandaviya to seek central assistance to control an outbreak of diarrhoea and cholera in Odisha’s Rourkela city over the past week,

In a letter to Mandaviya, Pradhan said the severity of the outbreak of diarrhoea in Rourkela and its potential risk to public health was alarming. “The disease is suspected to be caused by water contamination, leading to severe health complications among the affected populace. Keeping in mind the welfare of the people of Rourkela and nearby areas, I seek your personal intervention in immediate facilitation of central assistance to Rourkela and other affected areas in Odisha, for controlling and addressing the outbreak,” he said.

Pradhan said the diarrheal infections were worrisome and asked the state government to conduct door-to-door health screening in infected areas and. take immediate steps to provide necessary assistance and support to the citizens in the affected area.

Officials said 13 people have died and over 250 admitted to hospitals in Rourkela following the outbreak of diarrhoea and cholera in the last few days.

The deaths were caused by vibrio cholerae bacterium as well as E. coli, said Rourkela municipal commissioner Subhankar Mohapatra citing reports of 39 patients. He said the reports did not mention any specific strain, adding that both infections are caused by contaminated food or water.

A special team of the district authorities has detected leakage in drinking water supply pipelines at around four dozen points.