KMC to conduct anti-larvae drives in slums today

Kolkata: The Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) will conduct a drive against dengue and malaria in the slums on Sunday. KMC officials of the Vector Control department along with the field staff will go to the slums on Sunday morning. Special drives are being conducted every Sunday. Last Sunday, civic teams had visited the roofs of buildings owned by private individuals and apartments as a part of the anti-larvae drive. The civic officials said there were no dengue cases in KIT quarters in Kasba and its adjoining BB Chatterjee Road. The KMC team on Saturday launched special fogging operations at KIT quarters where a father and a son died allegedly because of dengue within a span of 10 hours on Wednesday.

KMC officials said KIT is supposed to clean the garbage inside the housing complex. The KMC team had sprayed mosquito repellant on August 5, 13, 21 and 28 and September 6.

The Rapid Action Force (RAF) of KMC will visit the puja pandals as the water contained in the bamboos that are used to erect pandals are potential carriers of dengue. "Expecting that it will rain after September 15, we have decided to visit the pandals to ensure that the bamboos do not contain water. If dengue larvae are found then proper steps will be taken," said Debashis Biswas, Chief Vector Control officer. The KMC will put up posters at important pandals to create awareness against dengue. Civic officials said along with alertness of KMC, awareness of people is required to check spread of the disease. Residents should clean the containers where water is stored at least once a week and the overhead tanks and underground reservoirs should be covered. They should use mosquito nets and should go to the KMC's ward health office if they run temperature. KMC does blood tests free of cost.