Fumigation drive launched in Peshawar

PESHAWAR: To avert any outbreak of dengue fever in the provincial capital, authorities launched a fumigation drive on Thursday. The campaign which is being launched on the direction of the provincial government following multiple cases of the hemorrhagic fever came to surface in some parts of the country.

The campaign in the urban areas of the capital was formally launched by the District Coordination Officer (DCO) Peshawar, Siraj Ahmed Khan. DCO Peshawar said that the authorities have also launched an awareness campaign to inform the masses about the disease. “All four towns of Peshawar and areas lying in the outskirts of the provincial capital will be fumigated,” Siraj Ahmed said.

Similarily, the Peshawar Development Authority (PDA), which manages the locality of Hayatabad, also launched a fumigation drive on Thursday. PDA officials said that the campaign will continue for the next few days. The drive was formally launched by the PDA Director General, Qazi Liaq Ahmed.

The PDA officials fumigated Phase I, III, IV and V areas of Hayatabad Township, while Phase II, VI and VII will be fumigated on Friday. Liaq directed the concerned officials to re-fumigate all the phases after the first fumigation drive is complete to ensure protection from the disease in residential areas.

He also directed the concerned officials to ensure cleanliness and spraying over ponds and said that ‘no negligence’ will be tolerated in this regard. “I appeal to the residents to let the authorities know if any area is left out from the fumigation campaign,” Liaq said.

So far, the health authorities in the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa have confirmed at least 88 cases of dengue hemorrhagic fever in different parts of the province. The majority of the cases have been reported in the Haripur, Abbotabad and Mansehra districts of Hazara divisions. However, no cases of dengue fever have been reported in the provincial capital as yet.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 30^th, 2010.