Anti Dengue Day: City firms up for dengue battle
A series of walks, seminars and other public relations activities were held by the provincial and city governments on Sunday in an effort to raise awareness of the threat of dengue.
A dengue epidemic killed hundreds of people in Punjab – many of them in Lahore – last year and the Punjab government is anxious to avoid a repeat at this time of the year, which is mosquito-breeding.
The government had declared September 2 to be Anti Dengue Day and government employees all the way from Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif to teachers, doctors and drivers participated in various awareness-raising activities on the day.
The chief minister participated in a walk in Gulberg and personally handed out leaflets detailing preventive measures to pedestrians and motorists at Centre Point. The Health, Education, Literacy and Environmental Protection Department all held walks around the city. Students put up banners displaying various anti-dengue messages around the city during the walks.
Seminars were held at universities and hospitals where experts discussed various aspects of the disease. Teachers were called in to schools for the day to look over cleaning arrangements.
City government officials continued checking for dengue larvae and spraying insecticide in parts of the city, said Acting District Coordination Officer Ahad Khan Cheema. “Dengue kits and awareness pamphlets are being distributed door-to-door by public representatives,” he said.
Officials said that dengue larvae had been found at 105 places on Sunday and these had been quickly fumigated. Separately, walks were arranged in all nine towns starting at town administration offices. Civil defence volunteers and scouts also participated.
Officials of the Lahore Development Authority checked arrangements at their offices on Egerton Road, Johar Town and Quaid-i-Azam Town. Seminars were held at all six LDA Model Schools in Allama Iqbal Town, Johar Town, Sabazar and Gulshan-i-Ravi.
The Lahore Waste Management Company conducted a fleet march led by its managing director from its head office on Egerton Road to the Town Hall via The Mall. Students of the University of Engineering and Technology also took part along with LWMC workers and management. The LWMC vehicles had been dressed up with banners and flexes.
Lahore Transport Company teams inspected various bus stands and handed out warnings to private transport companies that failed to maintain cleanliness at bus stations and workshops where tyres were stored. The inspectors warned that their buses would be grounded if they did not maintain an acceptable level of cleanliness. They also handed out pamphlets.
The Punjab Emergency Services (Rescue 1122) held a video conference of all its district emergency officers led by Director General Dr Rizwan Naseer on Sunday and discussed the various walks and seminars held all over the province.
Seminars were held at the Police Headquarters in Qila Gujjar Singh and Traffic Police Lines at Tokhar Niaz Baig. The Parks and Horticulture Authority held a walk on Jail Road.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 3rd, 2012.
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We appreciate all these seminars and road activity. I am the resident of 231, B-2, Johar town. In front of my house there some open plots. There is KIPS college in front of these plots also. exactly in front of my hose corner plot look like a garbage and dung center. Many times I processed the application to MPA and LWMC. Now in these days there is rain water flowing in the garbage and defiantly there will be DENGUE larwa. I request all the concern departments. Please visit the site and observe there-selves.