The District Administration will soon constitute prizes for Government, private, aided, Corporation school students in the district who identify mosquito-breeding points near their schools and residences. A decision to this effect was taken during an inter-department coordination meeting on dengue convened on Wednesday.
District Collector Archana Patnaik, who chaired the meeting, directed the School Education Department officials to distribute video materials on identifying mosquito-breeding sources and their harmful effects to all the schools in Coimbatore. Details of prizes in recognition of the students’ services are being worked out.
Dengue awareness programmes are already being held in schools by the Health Department. The students must also be encouraged to conduct awareness programmes in their localities, she said.
She also said that particular care must be taken to prevent water stagnation. Fresh water such as either drinking water or rain water provides breeding space to both Aedes Aegypti mosquitoes that carry the dengue-causing virus and Aedes Albopictus that spreads the chikungunya virus.
Control measures
Further, Ms. Patnaik called for stepping up dengue control measures such as source reduction campaigns and information, education and communication (IEC) programmes in corporation limits and town panchayats, the areas that have high population density. In these areas, vehicle-mounted public address systems would be deployed and pamphlets would also be distributed. She also called for roping in women self-help groups members in awareness programmes.
The Collector also directed the Tamil Nadu Water Supply and Drainage (TWAD) Board to ensure safe distribution of drinking water and the Public Works Department to prevent water stagnation in construction sites.
Sub-Collector (Pollachi) Rashmi Sidharth Zagade, Chief Educational Officer A. Gnanagowri, Coimbatore Medical College Hospital Dean S. Revwathy, Deputy Director of Health Services S. Somasundaram, City Health Officer P. Aruna, District Rural Development Agency Project Director Tha. Murugan took part in the meeting along with officials from Corporation, Revenue, urban and rural local bodies.
Dengue preparedness
The District Administration and the Health Department recently reviewed the dengue preparedness in Coimbatore. District Revenue Officer T. Christu Raj chaired the meeting. According to a press release, it was decided to rope in school and college students besides volunteers from non-governmental organisations to conduct awareness programmes. Further, local bodies such as village and town panchayats and medical officers have been directed to undertake door-to-door awareness campaign. All the Government Hospitals and primary health centres in the district were distributing free of cost ‘Nilavembu Kashayam,’ a Siddha concoction said to be effective in preventing dengue, along with papaya juice.
