In the wake of the death of four children in Tiruvallur district, several villages bordering Andhra Pradesh are in the grip of dengue fear.
Inspecting the affected areas, Health Minister C. Vijaya Baskar confirmed that D. Mohan, 6, had died of dengue. Kuberan, another six-year-old undergoing treatment at the Government District Headquarters Hospital, had also been tested positive, he said.
Six others from Kaverirajapuram village, admitted to the same hospital on August 16 and 17, are diagnosed with viral fever and tested negative for dengue, said the Minister.
Accompanied by Health Secretary J. Radhakrishnan and District Collector E. Sundaravalli, the Minister inspected two Dalit colonies in Kaverirajapuram, near Tirutani, on Sunday.
With a large contingent of officials from various departments, he launched a massive screening drive in which 1,094 persons were checked as out-patients at government hospitals in Tirutani and Pallipattu on Sunday alone as part of preventive measures.
Cleaning on“A team of 200 sanitary staff from Tiruvallur and Tirutani municipalities, along with health officials, are camping in the affected areas. Fogging is being done and door-to-door surveillance on water storage facilities at houses are being made,” the Collector told The Hindu.
Of the 14 blocks in Tiruvallur district, Tirutani and Pallipattu were the most backward regions bordering Andhra Pradesh with most of the residents being farm labourers.
District officials said that many villages in Pallipattu lack basic facilities, even a primary health centre with adequate staff, frequent buses, safe drinking water and sanitation.
“For years, we have been running from pillar to post to get basic facilities for our village but so far we have got only promises from the district administration,” said A. Anand, 29, a resident in Kaverirajapuram.
Earlier in the day, residents in affected areas raised the issue of basic facilities, including the lack of a drainage system and water supply, with the Minister. Residents blamed the officials for the construction of an uneven open stormwater drain that is used as a drainage channel by residents.
The unevenness of the drain, residents said, blocked the flow of sullage, resulting in mosquito breeding in the neighbourhood. The Collector promised them that the drain would be rebuilt.
