Madurai corporation hires 530 people to curb mosquito breeding

Madurai: To prevent mosquito-borne diseases in the coming months, Madurai corporation has hired 530 people on a contract basis to conduct inspections, identify and clear mosquito breeding hotspots across the city.Assistant health officer Abhishek said there were only 80 registered cases of mosquito-related illness in the city last year. "This year, the corporation aims to reduce the number further. The domestic breeding checkers are going to be active across the city even during the off-season," he said, adding that the health department expects a spike in cases during the summer and are conducting inspections to identify hotspots for mosquito breeding preemptively. "So far, we have identified around 80 spots where mosquito breeding could be a major issue and are being regularly monitored," he said.The mosquito control workers will conduct door-to-door inspections, raise awareness, clear stagnant water, and spray mosquito repellent. "Each team will visit 40 to 50 houses in a day and will work six days a week. They will check for sources of breeding such as stagnant water in flower pots and coconut shells and clear them," Abhishek said."The teams will inspect the collectorate, all five corporation zonal offices and administrative buildings for fogging and clear any mosquito breeding grounds on Thursday," he said. Illnesses such as malaria and dengue will be taken very seriously. "We will check all fever patients for mosquito-borne diseases as a preventive measure," he added.