Patna: With the arrival of the monsoon season, the Patna Municipal Corporation (PMC) has initiated comprehensive measures to combat vector-borne diseases like dengue, malaria, chikungunya, and others across the city. PMC teams are conducting door-to-door inspections, checking water storage containers, and identifying potential mosquito breeding sites. Fogging operations have also been intensified in high-risk areas, particularly around construction sites and empty plots, said civic body officials.So far, 48 people have tested positive for dengue this year. About 5,041 dengue cases were reported in 2024, while 8,493 cases were reported in 2023, as per the data provided by the Patna district administration.Pravin Kumar Singh, assistant medical officer of the PMC, said a few mosquito breeding grounds were detected in affected areas where dengue patients were identified. “These areas are in Kankerbagh, Patliputra, and Azimabad circles. The civic body has deputed 558 field workers to eliminate the dengue breeding grounds, sprinkle anti-larvae spray, and conduct fogging operations on a roster,” he said.Singh told this newspaper on Monday that the civic body has 75 hand-held fogging machines, 59 vehicle-mounted fogging machines, and 375 anti-larvae spraying machines to curb the mosquito population. “The fogging fleet is being used on major roads, for which two field workers have been deployed in each vehicle. For areas inaccessible to vehicles, such as narrow lanes or congested localities, we have given one hand-held fogging machine in each ward,” Singh said.He added, “The breeding grounds are quite limited this time, and there hasn’t been much rain yet. If it rains now, the problems will increase.”There are a total of 75 wards in the PMC jurisdiction. As per the current scenario, fogging is done in two shifts, morning and evening. The PMC has divided each ward into five sectors for anti-larvae spray.When asked which areas are more prone to mosquito breeding, Singh said open areas, empty plots, construction sites, dug-up areas or trenches, and places with water accumulation.The PMC is also conducting awareness programmes across all six wards: Azimabad, Bankipur, Kankarbagh, New Capital, Patliputra, and Patna City. Under its ‘Swachhta Pakhwada’ (fortnight cleanliness) campaign, the civic body’s IEC (Information Education Communication) team is creating awareness among people to keep their surroundings clean.Ashish Kumar, additional municipal commissioner, said awareness programmes are being organised, focusing on dengue and malaria prevention and precautions to take. “People are being asked to ensure that there is no accumulated water on rooftops, water containers, and coolers, which are probable breeding grounds for mosquitoes,” he said.The district administration has issued an advisory for the public, asking everyone to remain vigilant during the rainy season. “Compliance with the health advisory should be ensured in all schools and colleges. Students should be encouraged to use clothes/dresses covering the whole body. Excellent cleanliness should be ensured in educational institutions. Regular spraying of anti-larva chemical (temiphos) in sufficient quantity in the drains,” Patna DM Thiyagarajan SM said.He said that the month of July is observed as Anti Dengue Month (ADM). “Our objective is to accelerate the preventive activities to prevent dengue fever by making the general public aware through IEC and BCC (Behaviour Change Communication) campaigns. During ADM, positive health behaviours will be encouraged to defeat dengue,” the DM said.
