Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) is ramping up its vector control initiatives across several critical city areas. The move follows the death of an 11-year-old in Shyamnagar, a locality under the South Dum Dum Municipality, which has heightened concerns about a potential outbreak.
The KMC has identified 26 wards within its jurisdiction that are at elevated risk due to their proximity to neighbouring municipalities. These wards, which include Baranagar, South Dum Dum, Salt Lake, Maheshtala, and Rajpur-Sonarpur, are seen as high-priority areas for enhanced anti-dengue measures. The KMC’s health department emphasises the need for rigorous surveillance and preventive actions in these regions to curb the spread of the disease.
Despite this year’s dengue case numbers being relatively lower compared to the previous year, the recent death has prompted the KMC to adopt a more proactive stance. The vector control department has reported that the continuous rainfall over the past month has created ideal conditions for mosquito breeding, thus necessitating additional vigilance. In addition to focusing on the aforementioned high-risk wards, the KMC is also concentrating efforts in areas such as Garden Reach, Behala, Garia, and Patuli, which are adjacent to Maheshtala and Rajpur-Sonarpur municipalities. Areas along the EM Bypass, including Beleghata, Narkeldanga, and Topsia, that border Bidhannagar Municipal Corporation, are also under scrutiny.
The KMC has already initiated a vector control programme encompassing approximately 3,600 apartment buildings, working collaboratively with residents to eliminate mosquito breeding sites. The civic body is committed to maintaining this heightened alert until November, aligning with the typical end of the monsoon season. The KMC vector control wing chief has assured that while the situation remains under control, there is no room for complacency. The corporation is coordinating with neighbouring municipalities to ensure a unified approach in combating the dengue threat.
