KRISHNAGIRI: In a drive to control dengue-spreading mosquitoes, the Krishnagiri district collector C. Kathiravan issued a drastic order to even close down, albeit temporarily, a private elementary school for not keeping its surroundings clean. On Friday, Kathiravan held a review meeting at Pannamthoppu in Uthangarai block in the district to check dengue control measures taken by the taluk officials in the wake of a surge in dengue cases.
Both the government staff and around 50 students jointly worked to conduct door-to-door survey of houses and other places checking for the dengue-spreading ‘aedes aegypti mosquitoes’. In the course of this inspection, the Krishnagiri collector found few places as the ground for breeding ‘aedes aegypti’ though the district officials had warned people not to allow water to get stored in waste materials/ containers in the open.
While one 36-year-old Kannan was imposed a fine of Rs 15,000 after Kathiravan found larva of ‘aedes aegypti’ in the rainwater that got stored in waste tyres kept in the open terrace of his house, the collector continued to be unsparing against unhygienic neighbourhoods. Ganesh was yet another person asked to pay fine of Rs 10,000 for a similar reason like that of Kannan who was ‘punished’ for not cooperating with the officials to control dengue in Krishnagiri.
A private school that runs classes till class five at Uthangarai taluk was also asked to close down till further orders. The order was issued by the district collector, Mr. Kathiravan as the school authorities failed to keep its immediate surroundings clean.
Officials fine erring shops in tirupur hosiery hub:
Beginning to slam fines on erring shops and establishments as part of the dengue-control measures in the hosiery hub, the Tirupur district collector K S Palanisamy on Friday ordered a fine of Rs 1, 000 on a two-wheeler workshop owner for poor maintenance of his premises which has turned a breeding spot for mosquitoes.
Even as the district administration launched a series of efforts to control the deadly fever and the spread of dengue cases, the collector went around the town inspecting various premises here to check for any sanitary violations. At 15- Velampalayam area, he found that one of the workshops there was kept in a very unhygienic manner.
While reviewing the clean-up works in Tirupur, the collector asked the sanitary workers to coordinate with the residents to help bring down the incidence of fevers within the Tirupur corporation limits. Speaking to reporters later, the collector said, “public should support the health and corporation officials to executive dengue prevention measures. If they fail to clean their building premises without draining out stagnated water, officials will levy a fine of Rs 1,000 on each premises. Heavy fine would also be slapped for failing to cooperate with the officials continuously and drinking water connection would be snapped,” Mr. Palanisamy further warned.
