The BJP-ruled civic bodies are gearing up to tackle the vector-borne diseases ~ such as dengue, chikungunya, etc ~ in Delhi ahead of the monsoon season.

The East Delhi Municipal Corporation (EDMC) held a meeting of the Inter-sectoral Coordination Committee in this regard while the North Delhi Municipal Corporation developed a beat-wise programme for Domestic Breeding Checker (DBC) workers.

The EDMC’s Inter-sectoral Coordination Committee meeting was attended by various agencies including the DMRC, DJB and PWD. It was chaired by Brajesh Singh, additional commissioner (health), EDMC.

Singh pointed out that vector-borne diseases are a serious threat to health.

“Even as EDMC is conducting continuous checking on breeding sites by the DBCs and field workers, but it is necessary that each department, buildings, workshops should decide their nodal officer who is responsible for mosquito prevention operations in the area,” he said. He appealed to all the departments to cooperate with the EDMC in this regard.

The North Corporation said that a beat-wise programme has been developed for the DBCs so that all domestic and office areas are checked for breeding.

“1420 DBC workers are engaged in the mammoth task of covering all areas and with special focus on vulnerable areas. They are entrusted with putting temephos granules in coolers, overhead tanks and spreading awareness in the community and garnering community support and action to prevent breeding,” said an official.

The official added that the Public Health Department has also conducted training for the DBC workers, supervisory staff and nodal officers of different departments in all six zones of the North Corporation.

The north civic body claims to have ensured the availability of temephos granules, insecticides and larvicides in sufficient quantities at all zonal stores. It is also said to have placed the purchase orders to meet further requirements during the monsoon season.

In the months of June and July, all wards are conducting awareness campaigns along with the area councillors for the RWA and local communities. The official claimed that so far 5041890 houses have been checked for domestic breeding of which 5449 houses were found positive for breeding.

About 61931 houses have been sprayed with insecticides. About 5011 legal notices have also been issued for creating mosquitogenic conditions and that 104 prosecutions have been executed.

Enhanced surveillance for malaria eradication is continuing and one case has been found positive in the rural Narela zone. The reporting of any case of dengue, malaria and chikungunya is followed by epidemiological investigation and focal spraying of 50 houses surrounding the reported case.