GUNTUR : With the onset of the monsoon season, Guntur Municipal Corporation (GMC) has initiated a series of contingency measures with a primary focus to prevent and mitigate the impact of seasonal diseases.
GMC’s malaria division has divided the city’s 57 divisions into 22 sanitary divisions and a door-to-door survey will be conducted to identify water stagnation near households.
A “dry day” will be observed every Friday to prevent water stagnation in vacant areas.
A vehicle-mounted fogging and hand-operated fogging will be carried out across the city, particularly in areas that reported malaria cases in recent years as civic chief Kirthi Chekuri emphasised it.
Gambusia fish are being released into stagnant water to control larvae and seasonal diseases and sanitation workers been deployed for regular cleaning and unclogging operations to minimise the risk of water stagnation and subsequent disease outbreaks.
The city municipal corporation is undertaking major water pipeline repair works to ensure safe drinking water and prevent diarrhoea caused by water contamination during the rainy season.
Officials prepared an action plan that includes repairs to an 800 mm dia water pipeline and a 600 mm dia water pipeline, which supply water to most areas in Guntur West constituency.
A 685 mm dia water pipeline near the filtration plant, supplying water from Sangam Jagarlamudi plant to the entire city, will also be repaired.
Further, the officials were directed to conduct inspections at the ward secretariat level and address any minor pipeline repairs without fail.