MCD gears up to check dengue

To sensitise masses on prevention and control of dengue fever, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) has begun a string of workshops for nodal officers of various government and private organisations and institutions in the city, including schools.

To sensitise masses on prevention and control of dengue fever, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) has begun a string of workshops for nodal officers of various government and private organisations and institutions in the city, including schools.

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So far, 15 cases of dengue have been reported in the Capital, with five of them having contracted the disease from outside the city.

One such workshop with a batch of 30 representative officials was held at Town Hall in Chandni Chowk on Saturday.

“This exercise is performed so that the officials are well aware of the disease, its types and how we could prevent it from spreading,” said a senior official from MCD, who did not wish to be named.

“Awareness among masses is the best way to prevent the disease from spreading. Through these workshops we are training a particular set of people from various government and private offices, schools etc so that they further spread the awareness within their group,” added the official.

To have maximum penetration among masses, the civic agency, as part of its anti-dengue drive plans to involve school children in its campaign in a big way.

“We have realised that children are the best means of creating public awareness. You get access to many families in different localities of the city with involving children of one school itself,” said N.K. Yadav, medical health officer, MCD.

Apart from schoolchildren, the Resident Welfare Associations (RWAs) and local communities will also be roped in for many of MCD’s anti-dengue programmes.

This year, the civic agency has an additional responsibility to ensure there is no outbreak of the disease, as the peak time for Dengue will see Commonwealth games taking place in the city, between October 3 and 14.

“Like each year, this year too, our domestic breeding checkers are doing rounds of the city to check any mosquito breeding in the residential as well as commercial areas,” said the MCD official.

“In case of any violation, heavy penalty will be levied upon people responsible,” the official added.