Intensify fogging in city, minister tells MC staff

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, October 9

To check the spread of vector-borne diseases, including dengue, Cabinet Minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu today issued strict instructions to Municipal Corporation (MC) officials to intensify fogging in all wards of the city.

He also directed Health Department officials to carry out a special checking against dengue larvae.

A special meeting in this regard was chaired by the Cabinet Minister at the Mayor Camp office here today. The meeting was also attended by Mayor Balkar Singh Sandhu, councillors and officials of the MC and the Health Department.

Ashu also directed the MC and Health Department officials for carrying out a survey to check dengue larvae in residential and commercial parts of the city. He also directed them to form special teams in this regard and generate awareness among people in the city to prevent the spread of dengue.

Ashu directed the officials to intensify fogging in all wards of the city, focussing on streets and vacant plots to kill mosquitoes and destroy the larvae breeding in stagnant water.

He said vulnerable places where the larvae of mosquitoes could breed easily must be identified and action must be taken immediately. Besides the checking drive, residents must be made aware of breeding grounds of mosquitoes such as air coolers, tea cups, old utensils among others.

Ashu also assured residents that he was personally keeping a close watch to check the spread of dengue.

No fogging in many areas, complain residents

Residents in different areas complained that fogging was not being conducted in their respective streets. Sher Singh, president of the Environmental and Welfare Association of New Janta Nagar and Shimlapuri, said: “I live in street number 7 of New Janta Nagar. Fogging has not been done in our street. It is the responsibility of the MC and other departments concerned to take requisite steps for the prevention of dengue.”

Sukhwinder Singh of Dhandari Khurd in Ward 28 said: “The MC did nothing to resolve the problem of overflowing sewage in village streets while no fogging was conducted here for the prevention of dengue this season.”

Notably, Dhandari Khurd is a sensitive area.

Councillor from ward number 2 Gurmail Singh Jajji said the big fogging machine was sent to the ward a few times this season. A number of areas are yet to be covered with the big fogging machine by the MC.

Mayor Balkar Singh Sandhu said fogging was being done in all areas of the city. All councillors had been given small fogging machines.

“If residents have any complaints, they should ask their ward councillor to get fogging conducted,” he said.

‘identify high-risk areas’

Cabinet Minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu directed MC officials to identify high-risk areas and give special attention to them.

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