Step up efforts to curb dengue, chikungunya: LG to agencies

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, June 7

Reviewing dengue and chikungunya preparedness in the national Capital, Lt. Governor Anil Baijal today directed the city agencies to step up the awareness exercise and steps taken to control the breeding of mosquitoes in the capital.

The Lt. Governor directed the officials to launch an “information, education and communication” campaign through the media, street plays and develop materials for schoolchildren and resident welfare associations (RWAs) which in turn must be roped in for creating awareness about preventive measures.

He wants the Health Department to submit weekly action taken report and develops an effective mechanism to monitor work of all agencies concerned in this regard.

Residents should be made aware by intensive campaign about all the potential breeding methods and sites and the preventive action required for control of vector-borne diseases, said Baijal during the third review meeting which was also attended by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, besides others.

The Lt Governor directed the local bodies to assign area-wise duty to field workers and fix their accountability for respective areas.

“Weekly reports with statistics related to IEC material, number of houses visited, number of anti-mosquito breeding activities undertaken, number of punitive actions taken, etc., are supposed to be submitted to the Lt Governor, Chief Minister, Health Minister Satyendar Jain and Chief Secretary MM Kutty,” said an official.

In the meeting the Lt Governor was briefed by the Secretary (Health and Family Welfare) about the action taken as per the directions given during the last meeting on May 5.

The Health Department has also formed 11 district-level teams and 1 state-level team, there is 24x7 control room for facilitating community about preventive and management facilities for dengue and chickungunya as well as taking their complaints in coordination with the local bodies/ Public Works Department related to vector control, water logging, etc.

At the meeting, Kejriwal also stated that corrective measures should be taken in rainy season to avoid water logging.