With dengue cases being reported from pockets of the city and suburbs, the Madurai Corporation has formed 10 special teams to step up fever surveillance in residential areas.
Educational institutions have been instructed to focus on sanitation, safe drinking water and mosquito control measures on their campuses.
Addressing a press conference here on Thursday, Mayor V.V. Rajan Chellappa and Commissioner R. Nanthagopal made a strong plea for public cooperation.
“We have to take preventive steps on a war-footing as people are gripped by dengue fear. Medical officers, sanitary inspectors and mazdoors have been instructed to undertake an anti-dengue campaign,” the Mayor said.
He urged residents to clean overhead water tanks in their homes and prevent water stagnation in their areas.
Mr.Chellappa said anti-larval fogging operations would be carried out in all wards to reduce mosquito density and breeding sources.
According to him, 18 dengue positive cases have been reported in Madurai city from March to September.
Corporation Commissioner R. Nanthagopal told media persons that dengue cases have been reported from 10 areas in the city: S. Alangulam, Vilangudi, Railway Colony, Mela Madai, Athikulam, Pankajam Colony, Villapuram, Meenakshi Amman Koil, Mannar College area and Veerakaliamman Koil area (ward 90). He said that damaged water pipelines were being repaired and water channels cleared.
“By the end of this month, we will complete all the preventive measures to avert a possible outbreak of dengue in October after the rains,” he added.
The Corporation will also supply the siddha medication ‘Nilavembu Kashayam’ through siddha clinics.
The public has been advised to alert authorities on specific complaints relating to sanitation, water stagnation and mosquito menace in their areas by calling the Corporation on phone number 0452-2531116.
Watch list
Meanwhile, a private school at Ponnagaram in the city has been put on the dengue watch list by the Corporation as fever cases are on the rise among its students.
Following the death of a 14-year-old girl student Sahana due to dengue on September 17, the civic authorities conducted an inspection at Vikasa School for two days and ordered the school management to declare a holiday till the campus clean-up was completed.
Mr. Nanthagopal told reporters at a press conference on Thursday that the school “had failed to maintain sanitation and hygiene standards.”
“During our inspection, we found that water tanks were in a bad shape. There was no proper sanitation. In the interest of students, we have instructed the school staff to keep the campus clean and close the school till such time (that the clean-up is completed),” he said.
According to the Commissioner, seven students from the school had caught fever.
“Corporation sanitary workers have cleaned water tanks in the school and it is important to prevent water stagnation and remove mosquito breeding sources,” Mr. Nanthagopal said.
The Mayor said that students’ health and safety were stressed during a dengue awareness meeting convened for heads of schools on Wednesday.
