VIJAYAWADA: With monsoon intensifying steadily, the Vijayawada Municipal Corporation (VMC) has instructed the health teams overseeing the Covid-19 situation to simultaneously commence anti-malaria and dengue drives in all the 64 divisions of the city. Mosquito menace has significantly increased in the city as more and more vacant lands are getting filled with rainwater.
According to the VMC health officials, the special drives will include anti-larval measures like application of abate solution in water containers, spraying or mixing of bio-larvicide in drains and other places with stagnant water, and fogging.A senior entomologist will be appointed exclusively for the purpose, and ward volunteers and Asha workers will be engaged in household surveillance in 24 vulnerable areas.
“Aedes mosquitoes, responsible for dengue, are mostly active in the day and the city has a high population of the species. Getting rid of stagnant water at home and surroundings is an easy way to avoid dengue. A majority of dengue cases are self-limiting and can be managed,” VMC Assistant Medical Officer for Health (AMOH-I) Iqbal Hussain told TNIE. Since January, 14 malaria and 11 dengue cases have been reported in the VMC limits. All the infected persons had recovered from the vector-borne diseases, he informed.
The VMC has identified 24 localities in the city as high risk areas. The areas include Anjaneya Vagu, Machavaram, Old Rajarajeswari Peta, Madhura Nagar, Bhavanipuram, Krishna Lanka, Ranigari Thota, Vambay Colony, Singh Nagar, Vidyadharapuram, Rotary Nagar, LBS Nagar, Kandrika and Rajiv Nagar. “For the anti-larval operation, the VMC has procured machinery worth `40 lakh,” Hussain said.
Explaining the VMC’s preparedness to combat the vector-borne diseases in the city, he said it has 333 workers under the malaria wing, and steps are being taken to increase their strength to carry out anti-malaria and dengue drives effectively. PDP survey, fogging, release of gambusia fish in side drains and other anti-larval measures will also be taken up as part of the special drives.
“We request the public to alert the VMC authorities on issues such as sanitation, water stagnation and mosquito menace in their localities by lodging a complaint through WhatsApp No 81819-60909, the AMOH-I said.
24 vulnerable areas identified
The VMC has identified 24 localities in the city as high risk areas for vector-borne diseases. They include Anjaneya Vagu, Machavaram, Old Rajarajeswari Peta, Madhura Nagar, Bhavanipuram, Krishna Lanka, Ranigari Thota, Vambay Colony, Singh Nagar, Vidyadharapuram, Rotary Nagar, LBS Nagar, Kandrika and Rajiv Nagar