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Gurugram: Now, MCG making efforts to curb vector-borne diseases
Gurugram: After diverting almost all its resources towards curbing the spread of coronavirus (Covid-19) disease, the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) is now
Gurugram: After diverting almost all its resources towards curbing the spread of coronavirus (Covid-19) disease, the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) is now pooling all its efforts in ensuring the city does not witness another outbreak, albeit this time of vector-borne diseases.
In this regard, the MCG on Wednesday initiated a six-day fogging and larvicidal drive that will cover around 540 residential areas in the city.
Although the MCG had started their anti-larval operations in May, officials said that due to most resources being diverted towards fighting the Covid-19 pandemic, their daily-coverage for fogging and larvicidal activities had been far lower than in previous years, with a maximum of one or two municipal wards being covered per day instead of a large number of areas spread across the city.
“Fighting coronavirus still remains our number one priority. However, given that the virus has already stretched our heavily inadequate health system, we realised that another such outbreak like malaria, dengue, or chikungunya can further complicate matters. Hence, we have now amped our anti-vector borne measures and for the next four-six weeks during which we will be undertaking extensive fumigation drives across the city,” said a senior official in MCG’s health wing, asking not to be identified.
The official further said that Gurugram has already recorded its first case of a vector-borne disease, with a city resident testing positive for plasmodium malaria.
Although the health department and the MCG have together formed teams compromising 171 officials, who have 49 fogging machines at their disposal, MCG officials clarified that they would be initiating their six-day drive independently.
“Around 100 MCG officials, who have 31 hand-held fogging machines, will be taking part in the six-day drive. It will be a continuous process and all efforts are being undertaken by the MCG to ensure the entire city is covered,” said Ashish Singla, chief medical officer (CMO), MCG.
As per officials, for larvicidal operations, one gambusia fish hatchery has been developed in Wazirabad for the 2020 monsoon from where the MCG will be procuring and introducing the fishes into different water bodies or points of heavy water accumulation points in the city.
Gambusia fishes feed on mosquito larvae.
On Monday, an MCG release said that along with the district health department, 39,000 houses across the city have been surveyed from June 1 till July 12, and 90 people had been served notices for not destroying potential mosquito breeding sources.
As per MCG officials privy to the matter, who asked not to be identified, since July 13, the MCG and the health department have surveyed 60,000 more houses across the city and served notices to 84 persons for violations.
At least 22 cases of dengue and 15 cases of malaria were reported last year, the lowest in the city in the past four years.
In 2018, however, 93 cases of dengue were recorded, 66 in 2017, 86 in 2016, and 451 in 2015. Thirty cases of malaria were recorded in the city in 2018, 48 in 2017, 36 in 2016, and 44 in 2015.
