Puja committees spreading dengue awareness to get awarded

Kolkata: The Health department of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) will give away 120 prizes to the Durga Puja committees this year to acknowledge their efforts in creating dengue awareness.

The move of awarding Puja committees with "Swastha Bandhab Sarad Samman" for their efforts in curbing the vector-borne disease in their respective areas was started by the civic body last year and prizes were given to 80 Puja committees.

"We have found in the last few years that a good number of dengue cases have been reported after the Durga Puja. So we have decided to involve the Puja committees in our campaign against dengue. The idols, the décor of the pandal are an integral part of the festival. But the clubs should not forget their responsibility to keep the residents safe and secure," said Deputy Mayor Atin Ghosh who is in-charge of KMC Health wing.

Mayor Firhad Hakim cautioned the Puja committees to check the space under the stage where the idols are placed to ensure that water does not accumulate in any sort of container.

"We have been able to eradicate smallpox and have now taken up the challenge to prevent dengue and malaria," he

added. The Puja committees will have to create awareness in their areas from September 18 to 22 and then will organise a day's camp.