NEW DELHI: In view of the monsoon season, the municipal corporations of Delhi have started an ‘intensive campaign’, including regular fumigation and spraying of anti-larval medicines, for the prevention of mosquito-borne diseases such as dengue, chikungunya and malaria.
The campaign also includes ward-level meetings with representatives of resident welfare associations (RWAs) and distribution of pamphlets, said officials on Monday. South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) Mayor Mukesh Suryan said that nearly 2,000 workers have been engaged in preventing mosquito breeding by means of household surveys, awareness campaigns, fumigation and spraying of anti-larval medicines.
He said DBC workers, public health officers and teachers have been engaged in this exercise and focus is on slum colonies and JJ (jhuggi jhopadi) clusters. Suryan said that it is a crucial time as mosquito breeding increases in the monsoon season. “We don’t want to take any chances and have issued instructions to officials concerned in a meeting to intensify awareness campaigns regarding prevention of vector-borne diseases such as dengue, chikungunya and malaria especially in slums and JJ clusters,” he said.
Officials have also been asked to intensify meetings with RWAs and household inspections.“We are also distributing pamphlets, providing audio-video and FM advertisements appealing to the public to check mosquito breeding,” Suryan said after the meeting on preventing spread of vector-borne diseases.
The MCD has checked nearly 42,000 houses in JJ colonies out of which mosquito larvae were found in nearly 800 houses. This year, 48 dengue cases have been reported in the city till July 24.