GHMC launches major drive to check dengue

Hyderabad: Better later than never! What should have been initiated before the onset of monsoon, The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) is preparing 'pucca' strategies to counter the ailments that have struck the citizens and has launched major campaign, particularly in checking the mosquito menace.

It has constituted 650 teams after becoming alert following the prevalence of widespread contagious diseases/viral fevers in the twin cities this monsoon. The GHMC Entomology wing strength of 2,375 staff have taken up regular fogging and anti-larva operations. They are conducting awareness drives to prevent water stagnation so as to avert growth of mosquitoes.

As many as 650 entomology teams are conducting daily searches in 1.4 lakh houses to check spread of mosquitoes by identifying larva-generation spots. They are taking up fogging and spraying anti-larva chemicals after locating the spots. The teams are removing stagnated water in overhead tanks, sumps, tap pits, drums, boxes and tyres. They are undertaking fogging in 150 colonies daily using 150 portable and 10 fogging machine-bearing vehicles. Members of the teams are collecting compliance signatures from the residents of colonies, local leaders, welfare associations, corporators.

The teams are taking up spraying of peritrium in colonies where dengue cases have been confirmed. They are also involved in regular supervision by geo-tagging of past cases of dengue and malaria and are taking up awareness programmes for school students on the ill-effects of mosquitoes with the active participation of the town-level/slum-level federations, SHGs and colony welfare associations.

As many as 42 larva-prevention teams are involved in spraying insecticide to prevent mushrooming of mosquitoes on either side of the roads leading to the Musi from Attapur to Chaderghat areas. Teams are taking up regular removal of hyacinth from important tanks in greater Hyderabad limits.

The GHMC is taking steps to immediately attend to complaints of mosquito menace and diseases received through GHMC App/call centre, dial 100, e-mails, WhatsApp. Henceforth, every Friday is to be observed as dry day so as to prevent spread of dengue, malaria by specially removing water from empty pots, plastic drums, boxes, tap pits, old tyres.

The civic body staff is advising people to close such containers. It has appealed to schools, offices, factories, warehouses, trade bodies to observe dry day every Friday by conducting awareness programmes through distribution of five lakh pamphlets.