KMC to hold competition to drive out dengue

Kolkata: The Kolkata Municipal Corporation will hold competition among puja organisers conducting anti-larvae drive in all the 16 boroughs under its jurisdiction.

The participating Durga Puja committees will fill up application forms which will be available from September 2 to 9.

The KMC will give cash prizes to five Durga puja committees in each borough. There will be trophies for the champion and runner's up puja committee and three puja committees will be given special prizes under the Mayor's choice category.

The puja committee will be given festoons, banners and leaflets free of cost by the KMC on dengue prevention which they will put up and distribute in their respective areas.

Senior civic officials said the dengue awareness drive by the puja committees have earned tremendous response from the public in the past few years.

The puja organisers distribute leaflets among the visitors on dos and don'ts against dengue.

Also, the colourful banners and posters that are put up attract the people. The puja committees carry out cleanliness drives in the areas surrounding the puja pandals and remove the plastic tea cups and water bottles.

The civic officials said the sustained awareness drives along with regular vigilance have helped to reduce the number of dengue cases.

The awareness drives and the anti-larvae drives are carried out throughout the year. Deputy mayor Atin Ghosh said drives were carried out at the houses, housing complexes, educational institutions and state and central government establishments that include offices, staff quarters and hospitals.

The KMC has set up sengue detection clinics in every borough and blood collection centres in every ward. The people afflicted with the disease are given medicines free of cost. The KMC has asked all the private laboratories to conduct blood test as per ELISA norms and not by using dengue kits.