LUCKNOW: Even as dengue cases continued to rise in the city on Thursday, civic agencies are yet to carry out anti-mosquito fogging in areas where people have been diagnosed with the disease ignoring rules that make it mandatory for them to implement anti-mosquito measures immediately in a hotspot locality.
When TOI had highlighted this issue on September 23, officers of the Lucknow Municipal Corporation (LMC) had assured to look into the matter.
However, another TOI reality check on Thursday, found the situation more or less similar.
Several patients and their family members, who are recuperating at home, said that while the health department conducted anti-larvae spray at their houses a day after being diagnosed with dengue, LMC has not conducted any fogging. Also, in a few cases, anti-larvae sprinkle was also not performed.
Manasnagar-resident Shyam Prakash, who was diagnosed with dengue on October 1, said that even after six days neither the health department, nor LMC officials conducted any mosquito control exercise.
Husainganj-resident Kaushal Kishore Pandey, whose 15-year-old daughter Ruchi Pandey was diagnosed with dengue on October 5, said around seven persons in his locality have been diagnosed with the disease. “The entire area is reeling under mosquito menace, but only anti-larvae spray has been done. ,” he added.
Municipal health officer Dr SK Rawat agreed that there was some disturbance in fogging activities for five-six days.
“All zonal officers will have to submit reports every day and it will be ensured that there is no delay now.”
Mosquito population control is the only way to check vector borne diseases like dengue and malaria. LMC must carry out fogging on priority basis, at least in the hotspot areas. Any laxity may lead to spread of the disease in the entire city.
