BENGALURU: With the upcoming monsoon season comes the fear of diseases like malaria, dengue and chikungunya.
The health department of Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) is organising various awareness camps and routine checks in each zone of the city for prevention of the mosquito-borne diseases. This time, their aim is to concentrate on source points, especially in areas with higher concentration of makeshift colonies and shanties.
A total of 243 cases of dengue were recorded in the first four months this year. The east and south zones were the most-affected, with 111 and 52 people, respectively, falling prey to the disease in these areas. In 2018, the number of people suffering from dengue was 1,385. On the other hand, 18 cases of chikungunya have been reported so far this year while the number for the entire last year was 139.
Before the monsoon rainfall arrives in the city, the officers in charge of the mosquito control activity have started conducting surveys and spraying chemicals like larvicides to control mosquito larvae, Manoranjan Hegde, chief health officer (Public), BBMP, said.
These pesticides will be sprayed near parks, garbage dumps, water tankers in individual houses and stagnant water puddles. “We are also conducting door-to-door campaigns, especially in slum areas as the people there are less aware of the consequences. In these areas, there are more spots with stagnant fresh water which can cause dengue,” Naveen, medical health officer, Yelahanka zone and also the officer in charge of mosquito control, said. Places like CV Raman Nagar, Shanti Nagar, Mahadevapura, Dasarahalli and a few areas near Yelahanka will be paid more attention to as they have a large number of slum population.
The BBMP personnel cover two lanes every day to spread awareness, Naveen added. This process will go on till the end of the monsoon season to keep residents safe from any mosquito-borne illness. The BBMP hospitals are also distributing Oseltamivir tablets free of cost, which can be used to treat symptoms caused by the flu virus, as part of their campaign.