Dengue raids Smart City, Bhubaneswar Municipality Corporation in slumber

BHUBANESWAR: IN what exposes the claims of Bhubaneswar Municipality Corporation (BMC) about improved sanitation and cleanliness drive, the Capital city this year has become the epicentre of dengue outbreak.

According to the statistics of Odisha unit of National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme, 36 dengue cases have been reported in Khurda till June 14, highest in the State. Of these, 33 positive cases are from Bhubaneswar alone.

The cases have been reported from BDA Chandrasekharpur area where 23 persons have tested positive, five from Nayapalli and IRC village, one case each from Unit 3, Unit 6, OSAP area and Satya Nagar. “All these areas fall under the jurisdiction of BMC,” said a health official.But, the BMC appears to be unaware of the alarming situation. Assistant health officer of BMC was unaware of number of dengue cases detected in the city while Mayor Ananta Narayan Jena couldn’t be reached for his comments.

Health Department statistics reveal that during the corresponding period last year, only three dengue cases were reported in entire Khurda district. This year, the Capital has detected season’s first dengue death case and the deceased, a 48 year old woman, was reportedly from BDA Colony in Bhubaneswar and undergoing treatment at a private hospital here.

Detection of dengue cases in prominent areas of the city has raised serious concern about the sanitation and cleanliness drive carried out by the civic body of capital. This comes at a time when focus is being laid on implementation of Swachh Bharat mission.

Bhubaneswar had grabbed No. 1 spot in Smart City contest in 2016 was ranked 94 among the 100 list released in 2017 Swachh Bharat survey, while it failed to find a place in the Top-10 list of any category of survey under the mission in 2018.

Meanwhile, as many as 2,253 samples have been tested for dengue and 86 were found to be positive so far.
Eight positive cases have been detected in Puri, Balasore and Rayagada. In Cuttack five dengue cases have been detected, while six have tested positive in Jagatsinghpur.

Sting concern

• 36 dengue cases have been reported in Khurda district till June 14

• 33 reported in Bhubaneswar alone

• Capital has detected season’s first dengue death case this year

• Only 3 dengue cases were reported in entire Khurda dist last year

•  2,253 samples tested for dengue and 86 were found to be positive so far

• In Cuttack five dengue cases have been detected so far