KMC to assist South Dum Dum, Baranagar civic bodies to carry out anti-larvae drives

The Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) for the first time will assist South Dum Dum and Baranagar municipalities to conduct anti-larvae drives.

The state Urban Development department has pulled up seven municipalities and issued notices to them for their failure to conduct anti-larvae drives properly. These civic bodies are Bidhannagar Municipal Corporation, South Dum Dum, Dum Dum, Baranagar, Kamarhati, Rishra and Serampore municipalities. Earlier, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had instructed all urban local bodies to take anti-larvae drives in their respective areas.

A high-level meeting was held between KMC officials and their counterparts in South Dum Dum and Baranagar municipalities on Tuesday. It was chaired by the chairman of Borough I Tarun Saha. The councillors of both the municipalities were present at the meeting. On July 27, a meeting will be held at the Rabindra Bhavan in Baranagar where Debashis Biswas, chief vector control officer of KMC will be present. This will be followed by a students' awareness campaign on July 31 in South Dum Dum where Biswas will also be present.

It has been decided that KMC will oversee the anti-larvae drives conducted by South Dum Dum and Baranagar municipalities in the areas flanked by wards I,II,III and IV. As Aedes Aegypti mosquitoes that cause dengue can fly between 50 m and 100 m, joint drives might be effective. The ward vector control officers will exchange information and notes with their counterparts working in South Dum Dum and Baranagar municipalities.

It may be mentioned that KMC is the only civic body in the state that has a proper vector control department. Anti-larvae drives are conducted throughout the year. The areas that are prone to dengue and malaria have been identified and the city has been divided into seven zones. There are five dengue detection laboratories where blood samples are tested free of cost and then medicines are given free of cost to the patients. Earlier, anti-larvae drives were conducted after monsoon. But because of global warming, mosquitoes have changed the breeding season and so the drives are conducted throughout the year. Atin Ghosh, Mayor-in-Council (Health) leads the drives that are conducted in educational institutions, hospitals and nursing homes, and central and state-run offices. The Union Health minister has appreciated the drives taken up by KMC.