Civic body's anti-dengue drive yield positive results

Kolkata: The sustained campaign launched by the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) to stop spreading of dengue has evoked favourable response among the slum dwellers who are following the dos and dont's mentioned by the civic authorities in toto.

A report on Aedes (larval) undertaken at Gokhana slum in ward 11 in north Kolkata was submitted to Firhad Hakim, chairman, board of administrators on Monday afternoon.

Atin Ghosh, member, board of administrators was also present at the meeting.

The report stated that as the water storage practice among the slum dwellers is short term, Aedes aegypti and other kinds of mosquitoes hardly find scope for breeding in the containers and hence the risk of local transmission among the slum dwellers in very low at the moment.

The survey was conducted by the senior officials of KMC's health wing headed by Debashis Biswas, chief vector control officer.

The Gokhana slum is situated on Aurobinda Sarani. The Kolkata Municipal Corporation team visited Altogether 477 households and the number of water containers checked was 1,710. Aedes Aegypti larvae were found in five containers only. Water is being stored in buckets, plastic drums and masonry tanks. It was learnt that only one women was suffering from fever but the Kolkata Municipal Corporation team could not check her as she was not at home.

The civic officials said the slum dwellers had cooperated with them and there was no resistance when they wanted to see the water containers.

Debashis Biswas, chief vector control officer said the Kolkata Municipal Corporation had been requesting people to clean the water containers once in a week but it was often been found that many rich people living in houses, apartments and multistoreyed buildings were not following the KMC's instructions and had even refused the civic workers to enter their flats and the roof top.

He said that there were 3,000 odd slums in Kolkata and if the slum dwellers become conscious, then the chance of spreading Dengue will go down.