THE MUNICIPAL Corporation, Panchkula has constituted 28 fogging teams to prevent vector-borne diseases, such as malaria, dengue and chikungunya, during the monsoon season.

Though, the health department has been visiting residential premises and offices since June, issuing notices wherever they find dengue larvae, the MC intervention has come now. The teams have been provided 27 fogging machines and one vehicle mounted machine to spray anti-larval medicines through fogging.

The MC will also start issuing challans to occupants of offices and residential complexes where larvae presence is detected by the health department.

“We are fully committed to the prevention of vector-borne diseases and will ensure that residents do not suffer due to any excuse in taking steps for the prevention of these diseases. We are working in close cooperation and coordination with the health department in this regard. I have directed the executive officer and the Chief Sanitation Inspector to take all necessary steps to ensure that preventive steps; including house-to-house visits to check spread of mosquitoes, spraying, etc are carried out well in time. I also appeal to all resident to maintain cleanliness at homes and even public places.They should not let water accumulate in refrigerator trays, coolers, ACs, old tyres, unused furniture, utensils etc” said Rajesh Jogpal, MC Commissioner.

The MC will also be undertaking a special sanitation drives in the areas which have been found vulnerable for the spread of mosquitoes by the health department, he added.

While residents complain of the laidback fogging schedule of MC, they realise that a huge part of it also depends on the responsibility and initiative that is to be taken by the general public. “Though the MC can also do more, the awareness about the repercussions of stagnant water has to come from residents. Neither the MC nor the health department can do anything if you are breeding larvae inside your homes” said S K Nayyar, President, RWA, Panchkula.

“We take care to empty out and scrub our coolers every now nd then. We take care that no polythene that may collect rain water lies in the open. But the clogging of drains and the presence of garbage in and around residential areas has to be taken care of by the authorities, people cannot do it by themselves,” said Swastika, a resident of Sector 25.

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