Pune has recorded 2,291 dengue cases between 1 January and 20 October this year, prompting the municipal administration to intensify prevention measures across construction sites, waste storage centres and other locations where water can collect.
Municipal Commissioner Navalkishor Ram reviewed the city’s preparedness during an inspection of Dr Naidu Infectious Diseases Hospital in Baner on Saturday. He directed the health, construction, encroachment and solid waste management departments to coordinate efforts to prevent mosquito breeding, according to the Civic Mirror report.
The Pune Municipal Corporation has inspected around 1.4 million homes and 2,831,386 water containers as part of its dengue-control campaign. Aedes mosquito larvae were found in 18,885 containers across approximately 13,000 homes. The civic body has issued notices to 2,664 properties and collected fines totalling Rs 630,000, the report said.
Municipal officials attributed the increased risk to changing weather conditions and stagnant water at construction sites, waste collection points, rooftop gardens, flowerpot trays and containers used to store water after supply interruptions. The commissioner instructed officials to give priority to areas reporting higher numbers of cases and to strengthen spraying and other preventive measures there.
The civic administration said smoke spraying would be carried out inside homes of dengue patients and in enclosed spaces around them. Officials have also been instructed to use biological larvicides regularly in stored water to prevent mosquito breeding. All dengue wards have been directed to make mosquito nets mandatory, while patients with severe symptoms are to receive urgent care at Kamala Nehru Hospital and Dr Naidu Hospital.
Dr Naidu Hospital has reserved 50 beds for dengue patients. Between 10 and 15 beds are occupied on a typical day, leaving around 35 beds available, and treatment for dengue is provided free of cost at the facility. The municipal administration said private hospitals have 4,409 beds, including 670 intensive-care beds, while civic hospitals have 333 beds, including six ICU beds. Around half of the available beds are reported to remain vacant on average.
Rapid diagnostic test kits for preliminary dengue screening have been made available at all municipal dispensaries. Free confirmatory tests are being provided at referral centres at Dr Naidu, Dr Kotnis and Kamala Nehru hospitals. Government and private hospitals have also been instructed to record patient information on the Integrated Health Information Platform and avoid duplicate entries.
The city’s dengue case count stood at 4,908 in 2024 and fell to 2,391 in 2025. The current year’s figure, recorded through 20 October, is therefore close to last year’s total, although the municipal report does not provide a comparable full-year figure for 2026.
The civic body has been using digital displays at railway stations, radio broadcasts and garbage collection vehicles for public awareness. Housing societies have been asked to keep rooftops and water tanks clean, while residents have been urged to observe a weekly dry day, empty containers that can hold water, cover tanks and cooperate with inspection teams. The municipal administration has also appealed to people experiencing dengue symptoms to seek treatment promptly.
