Dengue larvae found at tyre godowns

Forests, Fisheries Departments release 70,000 larva-eating fish in water bodies.


Our Correspondent April 08, 2012

LAHORE:


Two samples among those collected from the city have so far tested positive for dengue larvae, said Khwaja Salman Rafique on Saturday.


Both the samples had been taken from tyre shops, according to Commissioner Jawad Rafique Malik. Another Health Department official told The Express Tribune that the shops were located on Ferozepur Road.

According to a press release, Health department teams have so far taken samples from 22,204 water containers, 1,107 tyre shops and 285 graveyards to check for dengue larvae.

Commissioner Malik told The Tribune that samples from the graveyards and tyre shops had been collected between April 3 and April 6.

Rafique, the special assistant to the chief minister on Health, who met with the cabinet committee to review anti-dengue measures, directed the Health Department to obtain certificates from government hospital declaring that there were no dengue mosquito breeding hotspots at the hospitals.

The commissioner assured the committee that the Water and Sanitation Agency would complete de-silting sewerage pipes before monsoon. He said that the city government was trying to ensure timely removal of garbage, from sites that also include properties owned by the federal government.

Dawood Muhammad Breech, special secretary health, said that standard operating procedure (SOPs) for checking for dengue larvae in swimming pools had been dispatched to EDOs Health. He informed Rafique that the Health Department had purchased 1,650 spray pumps and 419 hand foggers.

The committee was told that the Forests and Fisheries Departments had released about 70,000 dengue larva eating fish in water ponds and public park fountains. Commissioner Rafique told The Tribune that Tilapia and Carp-fish, both local species, were bred in the last three months.

He described them as “the eco-friendly way” to eliminate dengue larvae.

Dr Waseem Akram, the incharge of the Chief Minister Research Cell, stated that teams would only spray and fog areas on the recommendations of the technical committee to avoid polluting the environment and stop the larvae from developing resistance to the chemical.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 8th, 2012.

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