Pindi gears up for anti-dengue drive

Admin aims to curb disease spread, ramps up efforts to eliminate breeding grounds

RAWALPINDI:

The Rawalpindi district administration is all set to start the anti-dengue drive across the district from March 1. The campaign will last till October 31. However, the anti-dengue legislation will go into effect from April 1.

The district has been split into four sectors and 31 cluster centres and each of them has a separate in-charge.

Medical professionals have sensitised the first week of March as a potential breeding season for dengue larvae. The authorities have planned to hire 2,200 temporary dengue patrol workers for the dengue campaign against lump sum compensations.

The Rawalpindi Deputy Commissioner has ordered to hiring of more female workers, who will be well-versed in Pashtun, Saraiki and Pothohari languages for the success of the campaign in terms of communication in local languages with the families living in in densely-populated areas.

Plans have been sought from all 22 departments for the next week's anti-dengue meeting.

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DC Hasan Waqar Cheema presided over the first meeting of the anti-dengue campaign on Friday and directed the officers and representatives of all the concerned departments to start monitoring and checking from March 1 of all areas, union councils and wards declared as hotspots in the last five years across the district.

He made it clear that dengue larvae shouldn’t flourish in any hotspot location and that all dengue teams would concentrate on underground water tanks, water tanks installed at residential rooftops, and underground plazas.

Hasan further asked the officials concerned to strictly check the water trays of refrigerators in houses, room coolers, water bowls for birds and pets and water channels of air conditioners.

The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Health Authority and the District Health Officer informed the meeting that spray and protective kits had been arranged for the dengue campaign. They said all their teams are active in the campaign.

This year, the teams of the Department of Agriculture and Civil Defence will work on the third-party survey. The third-party teams will inspect the areas, wards, or union councils to be cleared after complete checking by the dengue teams. In case of the presence of dengue larvae in the already cleared areas, dengue teams will face departmental action.

During the meeting, the DC further ordered a robust and aggressive anti-dengue campaign after the Eidul Fitr holidays. He said that all hotspot areas, under-construction buildings, cemeteries, and empty plots will undergo an in-depth search beginning on March 1.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 28^th, 2024.