VIJAYAWADA: The Vijayawada Municipal Corporation (VMC) has started anti malaria campaign in the city. Health and sanitation wings in the civic body have conducted a sanitation drive at Jakkampudi where 28 malaria cases were recorded in the last 50 days. Sanitation workers have checked peri-domestic places in the colonies for stagnant water by conducting door-to-door survey.
The threat of vector-borne diseases in the city was highlighted in these columns on Monday. The VMC swung into action on Tuesday and started mosquito control programme at Jakkampudi. The civic body is also preparing a comprehensive plan for the city to control mosquito menace. The civic body is going to take up the mosquito eradication programme at three levels. The low-lying areas, pits and unused wells are going to be filled up to avoid prolonged stagnation of water which turns into a breeding ground for mosquitoes. Covering the overhead tanks and wells with mosquito nets and ensuring free flow of drains without stagnation will be taken up by the VMC under source reduction programme.
In the second level, anti-larval operations both in chemical and biological methods will be taken up. Instructions were given to sanitary inspectors to use larvicides, M.L Oil in all running drains once in a week to kill the larva. Peri-domestic places like coconut shells, flowerpots, air coolers, tires and other unused utensils are to be identified by conducting weekly survey.
Necessary interventions have to be taken to neutralise the larva. The VMC is also releasing Gambusia fish in all fresh water bodies and placing oil balls in polluted water bodies. In the anti-adult mosquito measures, the indoor residual spray with Malathian 25% on the walls of the houses in the areas where more number of malaria and dengue cases were recorded. The civic body is also taking up pyrethrum indoor spray and Malathian outdoor fogging activities. “Besides all these measures, we are also taking up awareness campaign with malaria staff and community organisers,” said chief medical officer in VMC, Dr M. Gopi Naik.
