Mayor orders officials to ramp up drives to combat dengue, malaria
Kolkata: In the wake of a “late monsoon,” the mayor of Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC), Firhad Hakim, has directed health officers to ramp up inspection drives in the city while spreading awareness among people about vector-borne diseases.
When asked about the update on dengue and malaria cases in the city, the mayor said that “the civic body alone cannot ward off such diseases; citizens also need to cooperate.” It was brought to the mayor’s attention that several vacant and abandoned lands, especially in South Kolkata, pose a threat of becoming mosquito breeding grounds.
Hakim said: “This is a genuine problem the civic body is facing. There are many such lands whose owners are not taking initiatives to keep them clean. For now, we are cleaning such plots and then attaching the cost to the assessment record of the owner. We have inadequate manpower to clean every such plot. We are sending notices to the owners to keep their plots free of garbage.”
According to the civic body’s health department, the number of dengue cases in the city until July 21 this year is 184. This is considered a 32 per cent reduction in cases compared to last year during the same time. For malaria, the figure stands at 954 cases until July 21, a 56 per cent reduction compared to last year.
It was reported that until July 3, 2024, the number of dengue cases in the state stood at 2,095. Last year, until June 30, the number of people affected in Kolkata was 179. This year, it is approximately 112.
However, the mayor said that the reduction in cases should not lead to any laid-back approach; on the contrary, the civic body officers must remain extra vigilant. He advised spraying larvicides and conducting door-to-door campaigns. “This time the monsoon has entered late. It could lead to a spurt in cases,” he remarked.
The mayor also advised against dumping plastics in public places such as parks. “One should utilise the bins installed rather than littering the place,” he advised.
