BMC intensifies anti-dengue campaign, targets chawls, clusters of houses

After targeting housing societies and work places for the past two months, the civic body is now going to extend its campaign to ‘slum like areas’ like chawls and clusters of houses, which could be a potential breeding grounds for the dengue virus.

According to the BMC, there have been 907 dengue cases in the city this year. “We are going to intensify our information, education and communication (IEC) camps by extending them in chawl like areas and are looking to target around 6-10 lakh people. In addition to advertisements and hoardings, pamphlets about dengue prevention will be printed and distributed all over,” said Manisha Mhaiskar, additional municipal commissioner of BMC.

As part of the extended campaign, officials apart from the health department will be sensitised about the disease. “When an official is going for an inspection, he will be sensitised to check for water stagnation in that area. This way awareness will be spread across all people,” Mhaiskar said.

The dengue virus can spread from one person to another for which it is necessary to screen even those who stay around a person who has been diagnosed with dengue.

“After a person is tested positive, there is contact tracing done of around 1,000 people living in close proximity to the person. This

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