The Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) officials on Saturday realized Tk 14.85 lakh as fines in 17 cases on the first day of a special month-long drive to control growth of Aedesmosquitoe that causes dengue infection.
DNCC officials inspected multiple buildings with ten mobile courts in all wards and sprayed insecticides in areas where Aedes larvae were found.
DNCC Mayor Atiqul Islam visited several areas on Saturday to assess the progress of the programme. He emphasized the importance of surprise visits to evaluate the progress regarding mosquito control efforts.
"No one knows where I will go in the mosquito eradication drive. Everything is cleaned up when notified in advance. So, I will go for surprise visits to different wards without informing anyone to see the actual situation. I don't trust anyone in this case. I will go wherever I want and take action," he said.
During his inspections, authorities of the Japan Garden City in the capital's Mohammadpur areas have been fined Tk 5 lakh after Aedes larvae were found in the premises.
“Aedes mosquito larvae were found in the basement of some buildings in Japan Garden City,” said Atiqul Islam adding, "Japan Garden is now a ‘mosquito garden’. It has become a death pit."
Addressing the issue, he declared that DNCC staff would not be responsible for cleaning stagnant water inside buildings, as they are unable to enter these premises. He further highlighted that many buildings and houses in Dhaka prevent DNCC staff from entering. “The responsibilities lie on the residents,” he added.
Responding to questions from reporters, Atiq said, "DNCC has been actively engaged in mosquito control efforts even before the monsoon season had started. It is not possible for the city corporation alone to tackle the dengue issue. DNCC staff would not be responsible for dealing with larvae found indoors."
The dengue situation in the country continues to worsen as the mosquito-borne disease has now spread to 57 districts and the total number of infected patients surged to 11,298 as of Friday (7 July).
Up until 7 July, 51 dengue-related deaths have been reported in Dhaka, while 11 deaths occurred in Chattogram. Additionally, one person each lost their life to dengue infection in Mymensingh, Rangpur, and Barisal divisions.
According to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), 2,165 dengue patients, including 1,528 in the capital, are now receiving treatment in various hospitals across the country.
Experts say the city authorities have not conducted sufficient Aedes mosquito control activities throughout the year.
The two city corporations in Dhaka claimed that they have been carrying out routine activities to control dengue.
DNCC Chief Executive Officer MD Selim Reza, Chief Health Officer Brigadier General AKM Shafiqur Rahman, Chief Engineer Brigadier General MD Amirul Islam, Chief garbage management officer SM Sharif Ul Islam. Secretary MdMasudAlam Siddique were present during the drive among others.
