Open House: What needs to be done to check the spread of dengue?

To prevent dengue one needs to control breeding of mosquitoes. Care should be taken to prevent stagnation of water in pits, flower pots, coolers and flower beds. Also, people should cover their bodies as much as they can. Mosquito repellents should also be put to use. Extra care should be taken to cleanse corners and dark areas in houses. The MC authorities should also increase fogging and other preventive measures to check the spread of the disease.

NPS Sohal, Chandigarh

Create awareness among people

Chandigarh is a city of educated people. To prevent the spread of dengue, the UT Administration should raise awareness about the disease. The Administration with an army of educated and responsible people can drive away dengue by keeping their homes and surroundings clean.

Sapna Sharda, Chandigarh

Admn must Identify a nodal officer

The Administration must ensure that all establishments, including government and private, identify a nodal officer to make sure there is no mosquito breeding on the premises. People should also behave responsibly. They should maintain personal hygiene and wear full sleeves clothes.

Vineet Gandhi, Chandigarh

UT Admn responsible for outbreak

The poor maintenance in sectors and markets has led to the spread of dengue. An app should be introduced for lodging complaints. The residents also need to be responsible. The poor performance of Chandigarh Administration has led to deterioration in health and sanitation systems in Chandigarh.

Opinder Kaur Sekhon, Chandigarh

MC should carry out fogging regularly

Mosquitoes breed in stagnant water, so proper care should be taken to avoid stagnation of water in and around the houses. Anti-malaria department of the MC should carry out regular fogging in the city address any complaints regarding mosquito breeding on priority. Any delay or laxity on part of the officials concerned can lead to deterioration in situation.

SC Luthra, Chandigarh

Need proper strategy to fight dengue

The City Beautiful and other constituents of tricity have been witnessing a rapid surge in dengue cases over the past few days. The UT Administration and health authorities have failed to prevent such outbreaks in the absence of a proper strategy to deal with the situation. It is important that health officials, along with civic authorities, take steps to control mosquito breeding. Intensive surveillance and awareness campaigns should be conducted to check the spread of the disease.

Dr Dinesh Kumar Verma, Panchkula

Identify & fumigate vulnerable areas

To check the rise in dengue cases, the Administration must identify the vulnerable areas and carry out regular fogging in the high-risk localities. People should also be educated on the preventive measures. They should be discouraged from unnecessary storage of water. The Administration must also cover the gutters and drains. Bio-insecticides may also be used to destroy mosquito larvae.

Simran Sidhu, Chandigarh

Penalise violators

It is a matter of worry that dengue is spreading in Chandigarh. People should ensure there is no accumulation of water in and around the houses. At the same time, the MC needs to carry out fogging in vulnerable areas regularly to control the spread of the disease. The civic body should also deploy staff to make people aware about the spread of dengue. If residents don’t adhere to norms, they should be penalised.

MR Bhateja, Nayagaon

People should Keep surroundings clean

There has been a steady rise in dengue cases in the region. The main reason behind the spread of dengue is unclean surroundings. We should keep our surroundings clean to check mosquito breeding. The MC should also increase fogging in the affected areas. Regular checks should be carried out by the MC to ensure there is no stagnant water in localities. Lastly, if there are any symptoms of the disease, one should immediately contact the doctor. All these efforts will help in curbing the spread of dengue and other vector-borne diseases.

Bir Devinder Singh Bedi, Chandigarh

Residents should help UT Administration

As dengue cases are on rise, it is our duty to help the Administration in controlling the disease. We should not allow stagnation of water in and around our houses. Most of the parks and roadsides are covered with unwanted growth in this season, which needs to be removed at the earliest. Regular fogging should also be carried out, especially in the slums.

Sukhwant Bhullar, Chandigarh

Health Dept should Conduct surveys

The Health Department must undertake a special sanitation drive in the vulnerable areas. Teams must be constituted to spray anti-larva medicines. The Health Department should also intensify larvae checking to curb the spread of the disease. They must visit every household. The Municipal Corporation must work in close coordination with the Health Department.

Anita K Tandon, Kharar

Regular inspection need of the hour

Dengue is a seasonal disease. This year, most of the cases in Mohali are being reported from the urban areas. The situation is alarming. The Health Department should make every possible arrangement to provide treatment to the affected. They should also carry out regular inspection, fogging and awareness campaigns till the disease fades away. Specials drives should be carried out in hotspots.

Sanjay Chopra, Mohali

People should guard against disease

The increase in dengue cases in this year is mainly due to prolonged monsoon. To contain the spread of disease, awareness must be increased at the community level. People should remain vigilant. Residents should not allow stagnation of water in their surroundings. The government should also take necessary steps to check mosquito breeding. There is need to identify high-risk areas and intensified fogging in the city. Dengue testing should also be made free.

Vidya Sagar Garg, Panchkula

Admn should Take pre-emptive measures

Dengue is spreading its tentacles in the tricity. It is imperative to take pre-emptive measures. Need of the hour is to check the stagnation of water, which is the breeding ground for mosquitoes. At the same time, people should take precautions, like wearing full-sleeve shirts. Open drains and nullahs must also be cleaned on regular basis.

Col TBS Bedi (Retd), Mohali

Prevention is better than cure

Prevention is better than cure. People should cover their bodies properly, avoid scented soaps and perfumes, remove any stagnant water in their vicinity and use mosquito repellents and nets to themselves safe. Sterile insect technique and larvivorous fish and crustacean can also be employed to check the breeding of mosquitoes.

Adish Sood, Amloh

Clean surroundings, Avoid waterlogging

People should clean their surroundings and avoid stagnation of water. Special attention should be paid to slum areas and public toilets. Fogging should be done from time to time.

Abhilasha Gupta, Mohali

Fumigate entire city

The top most priority for the Administration should be fogging, not only in the peripheral areas, but within the sectors as well. Strict action should be taken against people urinating or defecating in the open. They should be fined heavily. Also, people should inform the Administration about any leakage in water pipes or garbage in their localities.

Savita Kuthiala, Chandigarh

Dengue can be fatal

With a prolonged monsoon this year, water logging, etc., has led to a rise in vector-borne diseases. Affected areas need to be fumigated regularly and screening should be increased. Dengue can be fatal and people need to be made aware about its prevention. A proper audit of patients and mortality statistics are necessary in formulating an effective strategy to fight the disease.

Garv, Panchkula

Administration needs to be proactive

How can you expect any good when the Administration has just one fogging machine? Dengue cases are rising and the authorities are hiding the actual figures. The Administration should undertake a fogging drive and make people aware about the disease. A proper plan should be chalked out and the Administration should stop making any false claims. People must also maintain hygiene to ward off the disease.

Anju mohan, Panchkula

Citizens, Admn need to fight collectively

The root cause of mosquito breeding is stagnant water and unhygienic surroundings. It is the primary duty of the Administration to spot the areas prone to water logging and take necessary measures. Also, the Health Department needs to be equipped to treat the patients. The citizens must know that the situation can turn fatal if precautions are not taken. It is a joint responsibility of the Administration and public to keep check the spread of dengue.

Surinder Paul Wadhwa, Mohali

Carry out intensive fogging, testing

Rising dengue case pose a challenge to the Health authorities. The MC should keep a check on places where there is high possibility of mosquito breeding. They must distribute mosquito nets and repellents and start intensive fogging in the city. Testing should also be enhanced. Medical advice should be sought immediately if dengue symptoms appear in any individual. Dengue is a deadly disease. The MC should make people aware of it. People should keep their surroundings clean. They should wear clothes that cover the entire body and use mosquito repellent creams. Stagnation of water should be avoided.

Vijay Malia, Chandigarh

Hold anti-larvae drive, educate people

The Administration should fumigate the entire city to stop the breeding of mosquitoes. All the machinery available should be pressed into service. People need to be educated about the precautions to be taken against the disease. Avoid accumulation of water and use mosquito repellent creams while moving out. If infected, seek medical help immediately.

Bharat Bhushan Sharma, Chandigarh

Admn has failed to contain dengue

The UT Administration has failed to take adequate steps to contain dengue. Fogging is done only in few Sectors, while dumping of garbage on roadsides is still rampant. Also, under construction houses are guilty of letting water accumulate at the site, thus providing a breeding ground to mosquitoes. Unless all this is not checked, dengue will continue to spread. The MC should also monitor the pipelines to stem any leaks. Overwatering of plants should be avoided.

Bubby Soin, Chandigarh

A wake-up call for Administration

The rise in dengue cases should be a wake-up call for the Administration. The unseasonal rain and unhygienic conditions in the localities have accentuated the crisis. There are dengue cases every year and as usual, the authorities concerned have once again failed to take any pre-emptive action to control the outbreak of the vector-borne disease. People should clean their house and close doors and windows before the sunset, as mosquitos are more active post-sunset. The Administration should make efforts to spot vulnerable areas and destroy potential breeding places. Get rid of stagnant water by clearing off all sources of standing water. Fountains at public gardens and plazas should also be stopped during the mosquito breeding season. All of us must check for damp areas in our homes and never let wet waste accumulate. People can also plant mosquito-repelling plants like neem, tulsi, eucalyptus, lemongrass, etc., in their houses.

Dr Anil Kumar Yadav, Chandigarh

Need to fight collectively

The development not only lies in the hands of the authorities but also depends upon the responsiveness and sensitiveness of the citizens. Clean and green environment, care for each other and maintenance of nation’s property should be the prime concern and duty of each citizen. With combine efforts of citizens and the Administration, vector-borne disease can be eradicated from our country. There is a need to focus on building a network that unites public health experts, mosquito control practitioners and university scientists to manage vector-borne diseases. Surveillance programnes for invasive vector should be standardised.

Charu Malhotra, Mohali

Clean roads on priority

We often hear Chandigarh is a clean and green city, but there are heaps of waste lying everywhere. The Administration should clean roads on priority and provide free medicines to people living in vulnerable areas. The MC should conduct inspections, especially in slums, to check the spread of dengue. Camps should also be organised to create awareness among the masses.

Avinash Goyal, Chandigarh

Form special teams

Special teams should be formed by the Health Department to check dengue larvae across the city. The residents should be requested to check water logging in and around their houses. Owners should be fined if dengue larvae are found in their houses.

AK Jindal, Patiala

Get rid of garbage, construction waste

Increase in dengue cases is a reflection of the lethargic and inept attitude of the Administration. The city needs to get rid of garbage, construction waste and any source of stagnant water to prevent the spread of disease. Sewage systems need to be cleansed and intensive fumigation needs to be carried out across the city. The citizens also need to cooperate with the Administration in fighting the dengue.

SK Khosla, Chandigarh

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QUESTION

The UT Administration failed to ensure compliance of cracker ban on Dasehra. What steps should it take to ensure the ban is not violated on Diwali?

Suggestions in not more than 70 words can be sent to openhouse@tribunemail.com