The Dehradun district administration is preparing to fight dengue in the monsoon season amid the Covid-19 pandemic and to minimise the dengue threat in the district this year, the administration ordered 20,000 fish from Kolkata, West Bengal. As informed by the district in-charge of fisheries, Vinod Yadav, the district administration has spent about Rs 55,000 to bring 20,000 Gambusia fish from Kolkata.
He said that these fish consume the larvae of mosquitoes in water bodies which restrict their growth to a great extent.
He also informed that these fish are about seven centimetres long and so far these fish have been released in a few fountains and waterlogged areas besides some water bodies in several areas of Dehradun.
Speaking about the reason for releasing these fish in some waterlogged areas, Yadav said that though the dengue causing mosquitoes occur in clean water, they can also lay eggs on the clean standing water near the dirty water as these mosquitoes need very less water to breed and they can do it anywhere.
So, these fish have been released in the said areas too, added Yadav.
Furthermore, on the question of whether the district administration will bring more such fish to restrict the breeding of mosquitoes, Yadav said that the administration has not ordered more fish yet but if there will be the requirement more such fish can be brought to Dehradun.
However, he also added that most of the dengue causing mosquitoes commonly breed in the water accumulated in containers, plants pots among other things at homes which pose the greater threat. Therefore, people should be careful about such accumulation of water at their homes, added Yadav.
MCD to begin 'Dengue Bhagao Abhiyan' from today
The Municipal Corporation of Dehradun (MCD) will begin its 'Dengue Bhagao Abhiyan' from Wednesday.
To run the campaign efficiently in the city during the monsoon season, the corporation has appointed three nodal officers who will inspect all the wards with the help of 10 municipal health inspectors ensuring that no residential or commercial body is promoting the breeding of dengue causing mosquitoes in their premises.
According to the officials, the appointed team of the nodal officers will examine 10 wards every day as per the instructions and the inspection of the whole city will probably be done within 10 to 15 days. Moreover, the municipal commissioner Vinay Shankar Pandey said that if water will be found accumulated in any broken containers, tires or coolers among other things at any building, the MCD will take action besides imposing the penalty on the culprits.