Village affected by epidemic of cholera, what is 1st step which should be taken to prevent deaths?

Sanitation measures for control of cholera (a} WATER CONTROL : As water is the most impoant vehicle of transmission of cholera, all steps must be taken to provide properly treated or otherwise safe water to the community for all purposes (drinking, washing and cooking}. Various approaches have been described for supplying safe water quickly and with limited resource. Facilities selected and installed should be appropriate and acceptable to the community. The ultimate aim should be provision of piped water supply on a permanent basis and elimination of alternative unsafe water sources. Because of financial limitations and other competitive priorities, this measure cannot be applied immediately on a large scale in developing countries, such as India. As an emergency measure, in urban areas, properly treated drinking water containing free residual chlorine should be made available to all families; this water should be stored in the household in narrow-mouthed, covered containers. In rural areas, water can be made safe by boiling or by chlorination. The emergency measures should be followed by the development of more permanent facilities. Ref : Park 23rd edition Pgno : 233