Dengue threat looms large as admn yet to do fogging in villages

Manav Mander

Ludhiana, July 8

The district has started reporting dengue cases from the urban and rural areas. Till now, 25 cases have been reported out of which 12 are from the urban and 13 from the rural areas.

The municipal corporation (MC) is responsible for carrying out fogging in the urban areas, but the responsibility for fogging in the rural areas has not been fixed on any official. Many panchayats do not even have machines to carry out fogging in the area under their jurisdiction.

Remedies for keeping mosquitoes at bay

• Grow plants: There are a number of plants that have mosquito repellent properties such as marigold, citronella, catnip, rosemary, lemongrass and lavender. Grow them around your house to keep mosquitoes away.
• Camphor: It is highly effective natural mosquito repellent. Leaving a few pieces in a container for evaporation creates a protective barrier against mosquitoes.
• Aromatic oils: Use oils like lavender, tea tree, neem, citronella, eucalyptus, and mint. Mix a few drops of preferred oil with water in a spray bottle and squirt it around home.

Paramjeet Singh from Bondli village, Samrala, said, “No fogging has been done in our village since the past few years.”

“With rainy season, mosquitoes start breeding in and around fields where water stagnates. The government should get the fogging done in villages too,” he said.

Amarjeet Singh, sarpanch of Thakarwal village, said, “We do not have fogging machine for our village. No fogging has been done by any department in our village.”

“Although villages have more open space and there is less threat of vector-borne diseases, it has been observed that in the recent years many persons have contracted dengue in the rural areas,” he said.

“The government should take preventive measures to prevent mosquito breeding. Mosquitoes breed in village ponds. Last year, fogging was done with the help of the dispensary officials in our village. Otherwise, nobody comes for fogging in villages,” said Jagtar Singh from Jassowal Soodan village.

Another farmer, Ranjeet Singh from Neowal village, said, “My house is located in fields. I can see mosquitoes around rice fields. Nobody comes here for fogging.”

Amarpal Singh from Lalton Kalan village said, “People in our village have stopped congregating at a common place near pond due to mosquito menace. If fogging is done in cities then why are villages ignored?”

Charanjeet Singh from Baddowal village said, “Our village residents have decided to buy own fogging machine. No department comes here for carrying out fogging.”