On October 16 (Friday), the Coimbatore Corporation fined a resident of Marudhamalai Main Road, Vadavalli, the sum of Rs 3,000. This was because she had not got rid of disused containers that had collected water and turned into mosquito breeding spots.
City Health Officer K. Santhoshkumar said that the Corporation had to take this step because despite dengue prevention awareness drives conducted by health wing officials for the past couple of years, residents of Ward 17 had failed to comply.
The Corporation is also taking on construction companies. Under-construction buildings are known to be notorious mosquito breeding spots, he says.
The action is taken under Section 228 of the Coimbatore City Municipal Corporation Act 1981, and a Council resolution of 2000.
The fine ranges from Rs. 500 to Rs. 3,000 depending on the nature of the building.
The penalty is levied only in areas where there has been an awareness drive.
And, so far, the Corporation has collected Rs. 1.50 lakh from around 60 establishments, says Dr. Santhoshkumar. More construction sites in the west and north zones have been penalised, while in the east zone the fines have come in predominantly from residences.
Inspection
On Saturday Commissioner K. Vijayakarthikeyan and health wing officials inspected dengue prevention and awareness activities in and around Vadavalli. A release says that the Commissioner conducted surprise checks on Pongaliamman Koil Street, Koothandavar Koil Street and a few other areas. Dr. Vijayakarthikeyan then interacted with residents asking them to destroy coconut shells and other discarded items that collect rain water and turn into mosquito breeding spots.
On Wednesday, he inspected the civic body’s dengue control exercise in Selvapuram.
In the company of Dr. Santhoshkumar, he visited Muthusamy Colony, Madha Koil Street, South-North Street and Kallamedu to check water storage containers and water tanks for mosquito larvae.
He asked the residents to keep containers covered and dispose disused tyres and coconut shells so that they didn’t attract mosquitoes.
At a construction site in S.A. Garden, he inspected the premises to check the water storage.
