Dengue fear in city, MC takes cosmetic efforts

LUDHIANA: Where dengue fever has claimed one life in the city and many others have tested positive for it, health department is still busy taking only cosmetic measures, leaving residents irked over the attitude of authorities.
The health department is busy conducting functions and events, however it is not doing anything for the prevention of diseases in the city.Recently they started a function to observe breast feeding week here at Haibowal Kalan. While talking to TOI Arvind Sharma, resident of SBS Nagar E block, said he had been writing to authorities since one month to take appropriate measures to clean the area, but all in vain. "The problem of waterlogging is definitely there and add to that garbage is scattered everywhere, making things even worse. The authorities never came for fogging the area and nor did the health department visit to take a look at the situation," said Arvind. He added, "I have been living here for nine years now, but the condition has only worsened. In the last two years many residents have suffered dengue." R L Joshi, a resident of BRS Nagar, said, "Though this is a posh area, the authorities never visited to enquire about the condition of the area and its residents. Such is the condition that garbage, stagnant water and even stray animals ail the area and no efforts have been taken to improve the situation." Anu Khurana, resident of B block Sarabha Nagar, said they were really tired of complaining to the authorities to clean the area so that there could be less breeding of mosquitoes. "We sprinkle phenyl in the streets by ourselves. If authorities don't bother the common man will have to get up and do the needful," she said.
Civil surgeon H S Balli claims that they had been spraying in the house and surroundings areas where there are patients of dengue fever, adding that they had also been collecting blood samples of the families of such patients. Health officer municipal corporation Charanjit Singh Uppal, said, "We had allotted small fogging machines to all the councillors. They get all the areas fogged everyday, including slum areas in order to prevent breeding of mosquitoes."
According to the records of health department, 15 persons from Ludhiana city and 17 from the surroundings areas, have been tested positive for dengue fever.