Tirunelveli Corporation slaps fine on houses that are breeding spots for dengue mosquito

The Corporation, as part of its anti-dengue drive, has intensified its inspection in water tanks of the houses and the water storage points in the construction sites.

When the inspectors found dengue mosquito breeding spots in a few houses on Karaiyiruppu Rice Mill Street of ward 2 in Thatchanallur Zone on Wednesday, notices were issued to the families living in these houses and fines slapped, said Corporation Commissioner Monika Rana.

The Commissioner said the ongoing anti-dengue drive across Tirunelveli Corporation has been moved to top gear as the urban civic body was keen on destroying even the last dengue mosquito breeding ground in the four zones of the Corporation before the start of Northeast monsoon. The inspectors visit houses, schools, colleges, marriage halls, hospitals, hotels, lodges, restaurants, government buildings, commercial establishments, construction sites etc. to check for dengue mosquito breeding spots.

“During this visit, the checkers will inspect the water tanks and other water storage points in every place for dengue mosquito larvae. They also visit the construction sites, where the water is usually stored in unsafe manner to facilitate the mosquito breeding. If the mosquito breeding spots are found during the inspection, the inspectors immediately issue notice to the residents of the house and impose fine for facilitating mosquito breeding despite repeated warnings from the Corporation and failing to keep their premises clean,” Dr. Monika said.

Fumigation was completed in wards 5, 15, 17, 21, 26 and 27 on Wednesday even as the dengue breeding checkers were conducting door-to-door inspection. When a few fever cases were reported in some of the houses on Railway Colony Ration Shop Street in ward 29, special fumigation drive was conducted in this area and also in the nearby Railway Quarters.

“In BBC Colony and a few construction sites in ward 43 in Melapalayam Zone, the inspectors found symptoms of mosquito breeding in the water storage points. After destroying these breeding grounds, notices were issued to the families living in these houses and also to the owners of the buildings under construction. If the owners of the construction sites fail to comply with the Corporation’s instructions pertaining to the ongoing anti-dengue drive, the permission given for the construction of their buildings will be temporarily suspended,” said an official attached to the health department of the Corporation.

Dr. Monika said the residents are being requested repeatedly to keep their houses and the surroundings clean by removing the waste immediately and hand over the degradable, non-degradable and medical wastes to the sanitary workers separately for easy solid waste management.

“The sanitary workers hereafter will not receive unsegregated waste while our teams are inspecting every house and construction site. We seek cooperation from every family of Tirunelveli Corporation in our drive against dengue so that the upcoming Northeast monsoon will be a fever-free season,” said Dr. Monika, a medical doctor.