KOLKATA: Two dengue deaths — once each at Duttabad and Aswininagar in Baguiati — since Wednesday have brought the focus back on areas under
Bidhannagar Municipal Corporation, where at least 14 people had succumbed to the deadly virus last year and several hundreds were affected. According to figures collected by the civic body, 147 people within Bidhannagar area have tested NS1 positive between January and August this year. Nine of them have tested positive in IgG and IgM tests.
Though things are still not as bad as 2017 yet, the civic authorities are planning to intensify the mosquito control drive to prevent another dengue outbreak. “Following the unfortunate death of the 10-year-old boy and a woman, we are intensifying the drive with focus on Duttabad and Baguiati,” said MMiC (health) Pranay Roy.
According to Bidhannagar health department sources, areas under wards 10, 13, 25, 28 and 34 have been listed as dengue sensitive. Councillors of these wards had attended a meeting held by state urban development and municipal affairs minister Firhad Hakim last Thursday, along with councillors of other civic bodies, to take stock of ward-specific dengue situation. All councillors have been asked to be more active in conducting denguecontrol drives.
The five wards under watch include areas in Kestopur, Prafullakanan, Baguiati, Mahisbathan, Samarpally and Sukantapally towards Rajarhat and areas of Sector III, which was badly affected last year.
“We are taking all necessary measures to prevent any outbreak this year. We are conducting mosquito control drives in all 41 wards with door-to-door visits, inspections in building complexes and offices. We have started fogging and spraying
larvicide and bleaching powder,” Roy said. The authorities are also planning to put up notice boards in front of households that refuse to cooperate with the civic workers.
