Health Hygiene & Sanitation

Lesson 44 : Municipal Health Services

Allied Health Measures By Municipalities

Provision as to Dogs

• Dogs shall be, by public notice, muzzled in such a way to allow the dogs free, while effectively preventing it from biting.
• Take possession of dog found wandering, detain it for 3 days. If it is not claimed, it can sold or destroyed.
• Licensing of dogs. Such licensed dogs are not destroyed.
• All municipality expense of dog shall be borne by owner of the dog. However, the damage is not payable by the owner.

Provisions as to keeping of pigs

• Pigs can not be kept without permission of the municipality.
• If kept without permission, they should not be cause of nuisance or annoyance. If they cause annoyance, then the owner is fined Rs. 50
• Pigs found straying may be forthwith destroyed and carcass be disposed off.

Regulation of markets and sale of goods

• Municipality has to license market, sale of goods etc.
• Use of markets without license is punishable with fine Rs. 25
• Markets can be closed and sale forbidden under health emergencies. Deviants are punishable by fine up to Rs. 5
• Unauthorized stalls can be vacated
• Lease of place for up to one year can be done by the municipality.

Inspection of food and drink

• Inspection of food, drink and animal food
• Destroy, dispose of food drink and animal food not found to be satisfactory.
• Municipality has power to dispose off perishable foods.
• Food, drink and animal food can be inspected for food adulteration. If found guilty, the same can be seized and the guilty person(s) can be punished.
• Municipality can also send summons for the person found guilty of adulteration.
• Municipality also monitors food hygiene.

Investigation of epidemics

• What is epidemic?
• When number of cases occurring exceeds normal expectations during a specific duration of time


• Who will investigate?
• District health authorities like
• District Health and Family Welfare Officer
• District Health Officer
• District Magistrate/ Deputy Commissioner.


• How it helps?
• It helps to learn about the disease spread and control.
• It helps to prevent further deaths and suffering in people.
• It gives idea of the source of infection.


• Usually by the time investigation is over, epidemic would have come to peak or started declining. Therefore, many steps need to be carried out simultaneously.