Bhubaneswar: With dengue witnessing a gradual spike in the city, the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) has intensified its source-reduction drive focusing on five hotspots where cases have touched double digits. A total of 208 dengue cases have been reported from different parts of the city in the current season so far.
Maximum of these cases at around 139 were reported in July with around 55 in June. About 14 cases have been reported till August 8. BMC officials said Patia, Prasanti Vihar, Salia Sahi, Sikharchandi and Nayapalli have been identified as hotspots where intensive source-reduction and awareness drives have been launched. Sikharchandi area has reported the highest number of 15 cases so far and 14 cases each in Patia and Prasanti Vihar. About 13 cases have been reported from Salia Sahi, while another 10 surfaced in Nayapalli.
“Keeping this in view, the anti-larval measures, source-reduction drive and fogging activities have been increased in these areas,” said a BMC official. He further added that Sahid Nagar, where nine cases have been reported, is on the radar.
The BMC has also initiated the process for bulk purchase of anti-larval chemicals like deltamethrin and malathion to power vector control measures. Around 1,000 litres of deltamethrin and 500 litres of malathion will be purchased for the purpose.
Officials said dengue volunteers have also been engaged to sensitise people about source-reduction, while BMC has also pressed two tractor mounted, 20 autorickshaw mounted and 50 portable fogging machines for regular fogging at ward-level. Dry Day is also being observed every Thursday as part of sensitisation drive in different residential areas.
BMC officials, however, claimed that the cases detected in the capital city till July were about 40 per cent less compared to the corresponding month of the previous year in which about 200 cases had been reported.
They said the test positivity rate (TPR) is also about 50 per cent less as compared to previous year’s 5.46. The TPR has been around 2.6 this year.
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