Dengue outbreak: MCD issues 15,000 notices

This year, the MCD has issued 15,000 challans, of which 250 were issued only last week, reports Vibha Sharma.

Given that the spread of dengue is directly proportional to the population of the Aedes Aegypti mosquito in a city, civic agencies are directly responsible for the spurt in the disease.

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The agency is supposed to keep a tab on the mosquito population through checks at various sites. As soon as the breeding level crosses the danger mark, municipal health officials must increase random door-to-door checks and if necessary take coercive measures, like issuing notices and imposing penalties, at sites where breeding is found.

This year, the MCD has issued 15,000 challans, of which 250 were issued last week. MCD Municipal Health Officer (MHO) Dr NK Yadav said even in posh colonies in are reporting 8-9 per cent breeding.

The civic agency is also responsible for carrying out awareness campaigns, fogging operations to kill the adult infected mosquitoes, undertake anti-larval measures and distribute medicines. Special care is taken within two-kilometre radius of a house, where a person tests positive for dengue. Fifty neighbouring houses are sprayed and checked thoroughly to keep the disease from spreading.

The MCD had undertaken two pilot projects last year—setting up OVI traps in which a chemical was added to water that encourage female Aedes mosquitoes to lay eggs. The eggs are destroyed before they hatch.

In high density dengue-prone areas, like Okhla, a chemical was sprayed on house curtains — the effect of which lasts for a month. On coming in contact with the curtain, the life span of the mosquito is reduced. Both these projects are continuing still with varying degree of results.