KMC identifies 68 out of 144 wards as vulnerable to dengue

Kolkata: The Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) has identified nearly 50 per cent — 68 out of 144 wards in its jurisdiction as ‘vulnerable’ where dengue cases might be higher and has already prepared an advance plan to address the issue.

“We have set a June target to clear plastic, thermocol and other non-decayable materials from vacant lands and sides of waterbodies in these 68 wards so that these sites do not emerge as the breeding ground for mosquitoes. Our vector control workers are going door-to-door creating awareness for dengue prevention and campaign is being conducted through hand mics for two days in these wards along with distribution of coloured leaflets among the people for awareness,” said Atin Ghosh, Deputy Mayor who heads the Health wing of the KMC.

The Health department of KMC till February has served notices under 496 A to 951 odd house owners who have been negligent in keeping their surroundings clean.

Three cases have also been initiated for non response to such notices. During the first two months of 2024, the KMC has slapped 733 notices.

Wards 2, 3, 4, 6, 14, 26, 27, 31, 32, 33, 36, 48, 55, 57, 58, 59, 61, 62, 65 to 69, 77 to 79, 81, 82, 85, 86, 88 to 103, 105 to 110, 112 to 115, 117, 118, 121, 122, 124, 126, 127 to 129, 131 and 144 have been identified as vulnerable on the basis of more than 10 cases in each of these wards.

However, the dengue combat plan for this year has been prepared on the basis of 2023 where dengue cases in Kolkata were 13,926. In 2024, cases were much less with 1,316 people being affected by the vector-borne disease.

The health administrative meeting which will cover all the 16 boroughs under the civic body in the next few months will start from Wednesday (March 26) from Borough IX. In the year 2024, such meetings at the borough level had started from April 19.

As many as 1,700 colourful hoardings associated with dengue awareness have been put up in important junctions within the city while a total of 10,336 sunpack boards are being installed at the rate of 72 per ward. As many as 32 rapid action teams have been working since January identifying breeding grounds of mosquitoes in schools, colleges, hospitals, construction sites, office buildings and other places and destroying them accordingly.