Login   /  Register

Updated At: Nov 07, 2022 12:26 PM (IST)

Mosquitoes breed in stagnant water, so proper care should be taken to avoid stagnation of water in and around the houses. Photos: Vishal Kumar

MC must ensure fogging in whole city

Dengue, caused through the bite of Aedes Aegypti mosquito (which has tiger-like stripes on its abdomen), has spread its tentacles in cities, towns, villages, etc, of the state. Thanks to the lackadaisical attitude or laid-back approach of people towards cleanliness, it becomes endemic in many areas in summer months, from March to June, and revisits cities and semi-urban areas at the outset of the winter season. Fortunately, the number of cases this year is not as many as it was last year in the state, but that does not mean we become complacent and do nothing. Female Aedes aegypti mosquito breeds in water and can lay about 100 eggs about three times in its (three-week) lifetime. Hence it is essential for people to not allow water to stagnate in and around their houses or in their neighbourhood. The municipal corporations/committees must ensure fogging simultaneously in the whole city, particularly in the evenings and mornings when the mosquito is most active. People should wear long sleeve shirts/suit and socks to cover as much part of the body as possible and use mosquito repellents. Usually, the symptoms of dengue are headache, muscle, bone and joint pain. Besides, nausea and vomiting may also accompany and these symptoms last a week. But in serious cases, the number of clot-forming cells or platelets may reduce requiring replenishment. Juice of papaya leaves and coconut water are very helpful. The government should use its publicity machinery to inform and educate people on how to prevent the spread of dengue. In any case, there should not be any panic. It is a vector-borne disease of the tropical countries, but it is not in any way like Covid-19.

Prevent accumulation of water near houses

In order to contain the spread of dengue, the foremost step Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann must take is to order widespread fogging in all areas of the state because this will kill dengue mosquitoes. The Health Department should encourage residents of the state to use mosquito repellents like Mortein. Moreover, the residents must be directed to ensure that their car washers do not let water accumulate on roads. Moreover, water accumulated near water coolers, wash basins or in things lying out in the open is an open invite to infectious diseases. One should not waste time in dealing with the problem.

MC, Health Dept must act responsibly

All state governments lay emphasis on educating the public on how to control the spread of dengue, but they themselves do little precious in this regard. The local municipal corporation and the Health Department make plans to contain the spread of dengue, but don’t give them a practical shape. They should follow the saying of Guy Kawasaki — The hard part is implementing the decision, not making it.” The local administration and the municipal corporation should take effective steps so that rainwater does not accumulate at the following spots and later turn into a breeding-ground for mosquitoes. First, the two-wheelers parked at the junkyard of every police station become water accumulation spots. In each and every government department, one or two discarded four-wheelers can be seen parked in the open where rainwater gets accumulated. Second, the old sabji mandi outside the Hall Gate, spread in about 2 acres of land with heaps of garbage here, is the biggest mosquito-breeding ground in the city. Third, the ditches dug for creating basement for commercial buildings, hotels, etc, is left unfilled, which sometimes cause damage to adjacent buildings and rainwater accumulation. Fourth, the MC does not spray mosquito repellents in water tanks below the fountains in different parks of the city. Fifth, fogging is done in some of the posh localities whereas it must also be done in each and every corner of the city on a daily basis.

Wear full sleeve shirts, long lowers

Owing to the spread of the deadly disease in the state, it is imperative to take preventive measures. As the state is witnessing rapid spread of dengue, it’s time the government and people took protective measures. As dengue-spreading mosquitoes mainly bite the legs and arms, we must wear full sleeve shirts and long lowers. It is also advisable to wear shoes while going out, especially at dawn and dusk as such mosquitoes are most active during these times. Next we can reduce the breeding of mosquitoes by taking certain measures. We must identify the places in our rooms where mosquitoes hide. We should spray mosquito killer liquids at such spots. We should not let water to stagnate for a long time as stagnant water is a perfect breeding-ground for mosquitoes. Frequent use of disinfectants is also necessary. In case we find any of dengue symptoms in our near and dear ones, they should be taken to a doctor at the earliest.

Stagnant water an open invite to diseases

We know that dengue is spreading rapidly in many parts of the state. Though the number of dengue cases appears to be less than that registered last year, the Punjab Government should not sit idle and let it spread, rather it must take steps to control it. State Health Minister Chetan Singh Jouramajra gave strict instructions to civil surgeons to make all-out efforts to control the disease in the state. The Health Minister also instructed the civil surgeons to raise awareness among people, make separate wards for dengue patients, carry out fogging frequently in villages and towns, and increase the number of employees to exterminate larvae. A team should be formed to examine the stagnant water around the houses in villages and cities. The Health Minister also appealed to people to not let water collect in tyres, buckets, schools or their surroundings. If we have nurseries near our houses, they should be kept dry.

Prevention & drastic steps are only cure

Dengue is spreading rapidly once again with more than 5,000 cases reported in the state of Punjab alone. Prevention both at public and individual levels is compulsory to check the spread of the dreaded virus. The government should ask all health wings to take measures and conduct raids to make sure that no such mosquitoes thrive in any residential areas. Fogging must be done daily in the areas that have become trouble-spots. Awareness through the media can be raised. The weaker sections of society must be provided with mosquito repellents. A proper medical treatment is given to the serious patients. At the individual level, one must keep his/her body covered by wearing long pants and full sleeve clothes. Everyone should make sure that there is no freshwater collection in their locality. Use the various mosquito repellents, sprays or body oils to prevent mosquito bites. It’s better to have a wired mesh on the doors to prevent the entry of mosquitoes in the mornings and evenings into houses. In case a person feels nausea, headache or muscle pain, he would better get himself checked by a doctor.

Make efforts to stop mosquito breeding

As we do not have an effective vaccine against dengue and treatment for the disease, we must strive to control dengue outbreaks through precautionary steps. The government must not let mosquitoes flourish. One of the most recommended strategies is to remove unnecessary containers lying in the open where water stagnates. Health Department officials must conduct awareness campaigns through which the public is educated on the symptoms of dengue and malaria. The rising number of dengue cases in the state is due to sheer apathetic attitude of health and civic body authorities. Health Department officials should lay stress on checking the presence of dengue larvae in their possible habitats such as tyres and water coolers. The civic body must start fogging much before the start of the winter season.

The air quality has suddenly deteriorated across the region. Consequently, just like previous years, the state again finds itself grappling with a sudden spurt in respiratory tract illnesses. Why are all the efforts to keep the air clean failing?

Suggestions in not more than 200 words can be sent to amritsardesk@tribunemail.com by Thursday (November 10)

A five-judge Constitution Bench delivers a 3:2 verdict uphol...

As the air pollution in the capital ameliorates marginally t...

The JMM leader has been accused of granting himself a mining...

The court recently rejected the petition of Kunwar Bahadur S...

Nimpi (31), Avni (10) and Avantika (8) were apparently stran...

The Tribune, now published from Chandigarh, started publication on February 2, 1881, in Lahore (now in Pakistan). It was started by Sardar Dyal Singh Majithia, a public-spirited philanthropist, and is run by a trust comprising four eminent persons as trustees.

The Tribune, the largest selling English daily in North India, publishes news and views without any bias or prejudice of any kind. Restraint and moderation, rather than agitational language and partisanship, are the hallmarks of the paper. It is an independent newspaper in the real sense of the term.

The Tribune has two sister publications, Punjabi Tribune (in Punjabi) and Dainik Tribune (in Hindi).

Remembering Sardar Dyal Singh Majithia

Designed and Developed by: Grazitti Interactive