Even as a nine-year-old boy died of dengue in Pulianthope, the Greater Chennai Corporation on Thursday kicked off a mass cleaning drive to check mosquito breeding sources, including damaged vehicles abandoned along the roads, penalising violators.
Corporation Commissioner and Special Officer D.Karthikeyan led the drive, urging traders in areas such as Pudupet to remove mosquito breeding sources in damaged vehicles.
Over 175 tonnes of scrap from old vehicles were removed from Pudupet on Thursday by teams of corporation workers.
The civic body has formed 200 teams, comprising 2,825 malaria labourers and 14,902 conservancy workers to carry out the mass cleaning drive. As many as 331 fogging machines and 32 vehicle mounted machines were used on Thursday.
The civic body also organised 76 medical camps, identifying fever cases. “We imposed a fine of ₹51,000 on violators,” said an official.
Collector calls on child
Meanwhile, U.Jayasree, 10, of Iyyappanthangal had a pleasant surprise as Kancheepuram District Collector P.Ponnaiah called on her at her home to enquire about her health.
The girl was diagnosed as a positive dengue case and was admitted to a private hospital at Porur on October 7. She was discharged from the hospital on October 9.
Earlier, Mr. Ponnaiah visited a construction site at Pillaiyar Kovil Street in the same area where he found the sump had not been covered properly.
Directing the construction company to resume the work after properly covering the sump, the Collector imposed a fine of ₹10,000 on the company for leaving the sump open.
Similarly, a fine of ₹10000 was imposed on an old tyre trading company at Kollacheri where different types of old tyres were kept in the open.
At Bharaniputhur, Mr.Ponnaiah directed the officials to inspect the low-level drinking water distribution pits.
The Collector urged officials to continue to create awareness among the public to avoid stacking unwanted containers in the open on their premises.
5 dengue cases
The Kancheepuram Health Division officials informed the Collector that five dengue cases were reported from Iyyappanthangal Primary Health Division in the last three months.
A total of 26 persons who suffered from fever were treated as inpatients in Primary Health Centres in the Division, according to a press release.
