The City Corporation will receive the first batch of 150 sprayers for mosquito eradication on Tuesday, almost a month-and-a-half after the onset of monsoon.
Officials with the Health wing of the civic body said the unprecedented delay on the part of Kerala Agro Industries Corporation Ltd in finalising the terms of the supply agreement with the Corporation had affected the ‘Bye Bye’ mosquito programme. Kudumbasree workers will be given the equipment to carry out door-to-door source elimination programme.
So far, Health workers with the civic body only carried out fogging in public areas of wards where dengue was diagnosed. Residents had complained that this was inadequate to tackle the menace and hence three Kudumbashree workers were appointed in each ward to carry out a campaign to destroy possible vector breeding sites. Funds were set aside for the ‘Bye Bye’ mosquito programme in the budget.
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Though staff members were appointed in at least 40 wards, the scheme failed to take off owing to lack of such equipment. An order had been placed for 300 sprayers. A date will be set for the launch of the programme when workers will fan out across 40 wards and carry out eradication in each house at a nominal fee of Rs. 5