Visakhapatnam: Keeping in view the number of dengue and malaria cases that were registered in the city in the previous years, the Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation has decided to target the source of mosquito breeding in both public places and private homes in the city.
All these years, staff of the public health department and GVMC workers have been fighting an uphill battle to eradicate mosquitoes and control seasonal fevers like dengue and malaria.
During the monsoon season, the government departments deploy special staff at scrap storage points, water storage tanks and unused tyres to stop breeding of mosquitoes. However, people living in weaker section areas and slums do not allow the sanitation workers into their homes to check the breeding sources.
Sanitation workers engaged to identify and destroy mosquito breeding points informed GVMC commissioner G. Srujana that last year, the residents did not allow them into their homes to check the source. The workers said that though the department had done its best, they could not target all the water stagnation points and destroy the breeding sources.
Taking this into account, Ms Srujana directed the officials to take steps to ensure every house is checked for breeding sources. She directed the staff and workers to check the houses without any hesitation.
Expressing her displeasure over the anti-larvae operations in the city, Ms Srujana directed the staff and workers to take massive awareness campaign informing the residents that they should allow sanitation staff to check for breeding points inside houses also. She also directed the staff to check for breeding points even in apartments and requested people to allow the workers into their homes.
Meanwhile, the civic body has decided to take up a massive campaign at the identified areas about the deadly fevers caused by mosquitoes. A special door-to-door drive has already begun in the city limits.
