20,000 notices served to clear mosquito breeding sources

Over the past week, the Health department has issued notices to 20,000 commercial establishments and homes across the State to clear mosquito breeding sources.

Health Secretary J. Radhakrishnan on Tuesday said that the idea was to create greater awareness. He added that although there was already awareness on dengue being caused by Aedes mosquitoes breeding in fresh water, compliance from establishments was poor, the biggest problem being incomplete eradication of breeding sources.

The breeding sources included partially covered drums, plastic tanks without covers, terraces where scrap material was stored, stagnant water and blocked pipelines, among others. “The world over, the strategy for dengue control has focused on source reduction. And that is why, if we need to be successful, compliance is very important,” he said.

Residents were also told that by properly covering stored water with a tight lid or cloth, they can ensure that breeding does not occur.

At the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital, where, thus far, 2,950 patients have been admitted with fever, 519 have tested positive for dengue, said the hospital’s Dean, R. Narayana Babu. As many as 510 patients have been discharged so far.

CPI flays State govt.

The State government should stop spending public money on conducting events such as the MGR centenary celebrations, and instead use it to curb the spread of dengue and save people’s lives, Communist Party of India (CPI) State secretary R. Mutharasan said while addressing mediapersons in Tiruchi on Tuesday.

Accusing the State government of having failed to curb the spread of dengue, Mr. Mutharasan claimed that the number of deaths due to the mosquito-borne disease was rising day by day in Tamil Nadu.

“Instead of trying to conceal the truth regarding the spread of the disease, the State government should take constructive measures [to tackle it]. Although the State government keeps reiterating that all necessary steps are being taken to curb the spread of dengue, the casualty rate is rising day by day,” he said.

Funds were not being allocated to the local bodies, which were run by officials rather than the people’s representatives, Mr. Mutharasan alleged.