High-level meeting held to review dengue situation

Along with the Siliguri Municipal Corporation (SMC) area, the district administration is keeping strict tab and implementing precautionary measures to prevent dengue in Siliguri Mahakuma Parishad area as well. A high-level meeting was held at the conference hall of Siliguri Mahakuma Parishad (SMP) on Monday to this effect.

S Ponnambalam, the District Magistrate, Darjeeling; Tulsi Pramanik, the Chief Medical Officer of Health (CMOH,) Darjeeling and Arun Ghosh, Sabhadhipati of Siliguri Mahakuma Parishad were present at the meeting along with other officials.

After the meeting, Darjeeling DM S Ponnambalam said: “Dengue situation is normal in the entire district. However, multiple cases have been reported from the Matigara block of SMP and Darjeeling hills. All the precautionary steps are being taken by the administration. We are increasing the awareness campaigns.”

There are a total of 53 dengue affected cases in the entire Darjeeling district so far. Out of which, 19 cases have been registered from Darjeeling hills. Out of 19, eight cases are from Darjeeling Municipality area.

To deal with dengue, the district-level monitoring committee on vector-borne diseases has been formed. The DM further said Vector Control Teams (VCT) are conducting house-to-house surveys in both rural and urban areas. The government officials will conduct surveys in schools, Anganwadi centres, under-construction buildings along with houses to find out whether there are any dengue breeding sites. The committee will collect certificates on the surveys.

“Notices will be served to the owners of vacant plots asking them to clean their plots. If they do not respond, action will be taken against them,” said the DM.

As many as 34 cases have been registered under the Siliguri Mahakuma Parishad, out of which 14 were from Matigara, five in Naxalbari. No dengue cases have found in Phansidewa and Kharibari blocks till now.

Around 15 cases have been registered in SMC area. Currently, two people have been admitted at North Bengal Medical College and Hospital with dengue. Both of them are from Birpara.

“We are little worried that the cases are high in Matigara. Although, we have started taking all the precautionary measures,” said Arun Ghosh, the Sabhadhipati of Siliguri Mahakuma Parishad