Bhubaneswar: City Mayor Sulochana Das and Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) Commissioner Vijay Kulange today launched the campaign Dry-Day Bhubaneswar with a padayatra in multiple wards along with citizens and local corporators.
The campaign that started today created awareness by demonstrating how to destroy the breeding source of mosquitos. Earlier this week, BMC had announced the campaign for the citizens to collaborate and come forward to fight dengue in the city.
“As the city witnesses the first touch of monsoon, the city becomes more vulnerable in terms of spreading of Dengue. BMC has been doing its bit and the citizens should come forward and join hands to get rid of the possible dengue menace” said Mayor Sulochana Das while doing Padyatra in Nayapalli and adjacent areas under wards No 37,38 and 39.
August is the month traditionally for dengue outbreaks in the city and we have started months earlier this campaign to inculcate a regular practice amongst citizens to prevent dengue.
The unwanted containment of stagnant water for more than 7-10 days causes the breeding of mosquitos. Hence, this campaign on Sunday and Thursday is designed to bring a behaviour change in each household to take care of their own house and surroundings, said Vijay Kulange, Commissioner, BMC.
He also did padayatra in ward no 8 around District Centre, Housing Board colony and Radhakrushna slum area covering house by house and coaxing citizens to adopt prevention behaviour.
The campaign has been started today in Magala Slum of unit 9 area under South East Zone. Today’s campaign has covered about 2000 households with more than 60 source reductions.
It is noted that in different phases, the campaign shall reach out to schools and Anganwadis to have sessions on dengue awareness along with campaign materials. The target is to ensure collective effort on the issue for preventing the dengue menace.
The campaign will involve different social groups to create a human chain effect of the initiative as planned by BMC, added Commissioner.
BMC’s helpline 1929 shall be active and responsive for all support for dengue cases. “The idea of observing Dry-day is to ensure household level cleanliness drive to clear all unused water containments. We urge the citizens and institutions to extensively search their premises and disrupt mosquito breeding sources,” urged Mayor Sulochana Das.
She has also advised all corporators to do regular visits across their wards and ensure the breeding sources are to be destroyed.
BMC’s senior officers like Deputy Commissioner Sanitation, Zonal Deputy Commissioners, City Health Officer, Additional Urban Public Health Officer, senior citizens and Resident Welfare Associations and SHG members participated in the campaign.
