Schools asked to take anti-dengue measures

Schools in the city have been asked to step up mosquito-control measures before the monsoon arrives and the dengue season begins.

In a recent notice sent to schools in its jurisdiction, the North Delhi Municipal Corporation asked the heads of education institutes — both government and private — to nominate nodal teachers to monitor vector-control measures.

The civic body said that schools must ensure that desert coolers are cleaned at least once a week and are mopped dry before they are filled with water. According to officials in the Health Department, the breeding cycle of the aedes mosquito is disrupted if the water is changed once a week.

The North Corporation also said that in case the cooler cannot be emptied, one tablespoon of petrol/kerosene or temephos granules be put in the water.

Also, water tanks must be kept covered to prevent them from becoming places for mosquito breeding. All schools, including the corporation’s own 765 primary schools, have been asked to give ‘dengue cards’ to all students, which will help them check if their homes have basic dengue control measures in place — like no stagnating water.

“Not only schools, we have also appealed to the administrative heads of all government and autonomous bodies, market associations and commercial establishments to participate in our programme to prevent mosquito breeding,” said Pravin Kumar Gupta, commissioner of the North Corporation.

The East Delhi Municipal Corporation has also issued similar instructions to schools, including its own 398 primary schools.

“The commissioner has asked all institutions to tie up with the Zonal Health officers by appointing nodal officers. We are ready to give them any support, whether it is organising awareness drives or spraying larvacide,” said EDMC spokesperson Y.S. Mann.

As per data released by the civic bodies on Monday, there have been no new cases of dengue in almost a month. The number of cases as of April 30 remained seven — one in South Delhi and the remaining from outside the Capital.

They have been told to nominate nodal teachers to monitor control steps