KMC spots mosquito larvae, garbage on JU campus during dengue drive

Kolkata: The Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC), on Thursday, ordered Jadavpur University (JU) authorities to clean up their premises within 24 hours after dengue mosquito larvae and garbage accumulation was spotted on the campus.

Deputy mayor and Member Mayor-In-Council (MMIC), Health, Atin Ghosh, on Thursday, conducted a dengue drive on the campus. During the drive, he said that a vector control team came across mosquito breeding grounds in at least two spots on the campus. He said that dengue mosquito larvae were also recovered.

Ghosh was apparently disappointed as this was not the first occasion when the university authorities were asked to clean up their premises. Earlier too, the KMC had warned against garbage piling up on the campus.

The MMIC told the university Registrar, Snehamanju Basu, that the piled-up garbage needs to be cleaned up within 24 hours, following which a KMC team would again conduct inspection. He said that regular monitoring needs to be done and accused the field staff of the university of failing to carry out their duties.

Ghosh told Basu that KMC can train the field staff of JU in the civic body’s research laboratory where they will be taught how to identify an Aedes Aegypti mosquito. “This will make the field staff aware and help them destroy mosquito breeding grounds,” Ghosh said.

However, JU Registrar Basu told the media that the spot concerned is not under JU and a post office was located there earlier. She said presently it is an under-construction site behind the chemical engineering department. She said that the campus is cleaned everyday and so are hostel premises. Recently, a 23-year-old student of the university died of dengue while two others, who were staying in the hostel, were admitted to hospital.

An advisory was also issued by the university which asked students not to let mosquitoes breed in their surroundings and keep doors and windows covered with mosquito mesh. They were asked to ensure there is no water stagnation, among other steps.