Anti-dengue drive gains strength at vulnerable wards

Kolkata: In view of monsoon the Kolkata Municipal Corporation has intensified its anti-dengue drive.

A drive was carried out in ward No. 109 in Jadavpur. Besides senior officials of Kolkata Municipal Corporation's health department, officials of the Sewage and Drainage, Park and Square, Building, Solid Waste management departments were present in the drive.

The KMC officials are cleaning the water bodies that have not been touched for decades. The water serves as the mosquito breeding ground.

The Kolkata Municipal Corporation has identified 20 vulnerable wards like 1,6,14,36,79,82,81,107,108,109, 131 and 132 among others. Special drives are being carried on the roads where Dengue cases had been detected in 2018. Senior civic officials said so far no Dengue cases had been reported from these areas in 2019. The Kolkata Municipal Corporation had started anti Dengue drive in February.

The drives have been divided into three phases. The first phase that started in February will continue till June. The second phase will start from July and end in October. The third phase will be conducted in November and December. A round up phase will be conducted in January and February 2020.

The Kolkata Municipal Corporation had launched a massive awareness campaign in January when 144 rallies were held throughout the city. The main rally was held at Kolkata Municipal Corporation headquarters. It was led by the Mayor Firhad Hakim. People from all walks of life took part in the rally.

Senior civic officials said to combat dengue, public awareness is urgently required.

They said that people have been asked to clean the containers which are used to store water at least once in a week. But in many cases the house owners refuse to do so.

In many buildings the covers of overhead tanks and underground reservoirs are not in proper place. The house owners also do not clean the water of flower vase once a week. The Kolkata Municipal Corporation teams are visiting the houses and inspecting the overhead tanks and under ground reservoirs and whether the garbage has been cleaned regularly or not. The teams are also visiting the offices, hospitals and housing complexes managed by the state and central governments.