Micro anti-dengue plan enforced

Officials get sweeping powers to ensure compliance in garrison city

RAWALPINDI:

Rawalpindi Deputy Commissioner (DC) Amir Aqiq has approved a new ‘Micro Anti-Dengue Plan’ to control the spread of dengue mosquito and larvae during monsoon in Rawalpindi district.

The district has been divided into three towns and three zones each which would be headed by in-charges. Besides this, there would be 39 clusters to implement the micro-plan. The heads of the towns have been appointed while the district heads of all government agencies have been made in charge of the clusters covering two to three councils.

An anti-dengue act has also been enforced in the district which will remain effective until November 30. Under the act, persons found responsible will be punished after an immediate hearing if dengue larvae are discovered on their sites.

The additional deputy commissioner (ADC) general will be in charge of zone one, ADC revenue and tehsil council chief officer will be in charge of zone two while ADC F&P will be in charge of zone three.

The assistant commissioner (AC) City and Rawal deputy district health officer (DDHO) will be in charge of sector one, Saddar AC and Potohar DDHO of sector two while Cantt AC and DDHO will be in charge of the third zone.

The district officers of all departments have been appointed as in-charges of cluster centers.

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They have been given wide powers and new terms of reference (TORs) have been issued for them.

The in-charge of anti-dengue health teams will be empowered to check attendance and performance of workers in union councils (UCs) daily. They can report absentees and take action against them. An in-charge may also pay surprise visits to UCs and is also authorised to carry out third-party surveys.

The reports on dengue larvae from across the district will be submitted daily to sector in-charges.

All areas where dengue patients have been reported in the last few years have been divided into clusters and will have a separate in-charge.

The inspection of last year’s hotspot areas will also continue regularly. District Defence Officer (DDO) in-charge of cluster centers, Talib Hussain, told The Express Tribune that immediate implementation of the micro-dengue plan has been started.

He added that all nurseries, cemeteries, tyre shops, junkyards, and under-construction buildings are the focus of door-to-door inspection for dengue larvae. He said work on destroying bushes and shrubs in cemeteries has also started while empty plots and ponds will be sprayed with larvicides and adulticides.

The DDO said a comprehensive search of 10 surrounding houses around an establishment from where a dengue patient is reported will be done and areas from where positive cases emerge will be sprayed with insecticide.

He warned that people ignoring the dengue threat and acting carelessly will be arrested and detained.

The DDO added that all departments had started operations according to the new micro plan which would be in force until end November.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 6^th, 2021.