Open House: What measures should the authorities take to effectively control the spread of dengue?
Improve sanitation
Use of safe water sources and improved sanitation facilities are essential to reduce the burden of dengue. Rising population and insanitary condition, accumulation of garbage for days on roads, outside houses and overflowing dustbins in commercial areas provide breeding grounds for houseflies and mosquitoes.
Charu Malhotra, Mohali
Keep area clean
Public and administration are equally responsible for spread of dengue. Prevention is better than cure. The administration must take strong and strict action in time to stop outbreak of the disease. Smoke-oil spray should be done properly. All pits should be filled. People should also keep their surrounding area neat and clean.
Sumesh Kumar Badhwar, Mohali
Question for next week
Cases of fraudsters posing as cops and duping people by threatening arrest are on the rise. What steps should the police take to prevent such scams?
Suggestions in not more than 70 words can be sent to openhouse@tribunemail.com
Tall claims fall flat
Though monsoon season is over, a sense of fear has gripped the city residents with an unabated increase in the number of dengue patients daily. Tall claims of authorities concerned in ensuring cleanliness in City Beautiful have fallen flat. The authorities are issuing press releases of ‘dos and don’ts’, but these are not enough to check dengue. The administration needs to make an effort for removing heaps of garbage and construction materials, besides spreading awareness.
SK Khosla, Chandigarh
Check waterlogging
Dengue was at its peak in the tricity this time. The authorities should find out the reason behind the breeding of mosquitoes and take preventive steps. They should distribute precautionary dengue medicine. Timely spray and addressing the issue of waterlogging should be done on priority. People should cover their legs as this mosquito bites on the lower half of the body.
Avinash Goyal, Chandigarh
Keep parks clean
The MCC has the major role to play to check the spread of dengue by keeping parks and green belts clean. Citizens must see to it that water does not get accumulated in discarded buckets, flower bases, coolers, etc. Children and adults should cover their lower limbs while going out for a walk or during the daily activities, especially in the morning.
Bharat Bhushan Sharma, Chandigarh
Use mosquito repellent
Mosquito repellent should be used frequently on exposed skin. During morning and evening people should wear loose and full sleeve shirt, pants and cover maximum area of body with clothes. Water should not be allowed to stagnate. Frequent fumigation of residential areas and common areas should be carried out. Larvae eating fish should be put in ponds.
Col KJ Singh (retd)
Admn must step in
In view of a rise in dengue cases in the tricity, the administration should take necessary steps immediately. People should cover their bodies properly, avoid scented soaps and perfumes, remove any stagnant water in their vicinity and use mosquito repellents and nets to keep themselves safe. Sterile insect technique and larvivorous fish can also be used to check the breeding of mosquitoes.
Adish Sood, Amloh
Intensive fogging must
The administration’s should conduct fogging not only in peripheral areas, but within the sectors also every third day and that too at night when mosquitoes hover around streetlights. The MC officials should get water samples tested to see if the water is fit for drinking or not. Strict action should be taken against people defecating in the open. People should informing the administration immediately about the leakage in water pipes or heaps of garbage lying anywhere in their locality.
Savita Kuthiala
Start campaign
The Health Department should reinforce drive against dengue and take all proactive measures to protect residents from water-borne and vector-borne diseases. Citizens, RWAs and the market committees should keep their surroundings neat and clean and free of water accumulation.
Vijay Shukla, Chandigarh
Spread awareness
The inspection, fogging and awareness campaigns should be conducted regularly till dengue fades away. Specials drives should be carried out in hotspots for vector-borne diseases. Intensive house-to-house survey, source reduction, destruction of breeding grounds, spray and fogging, issuance of notices and challans, distribution of pamphlets and megaphone announcement should be carried out.
Sanjay Chopra, Mohali
Identify high-risk areas
Regularly empty water stagnating in containers, old tyres, trash cans and flower pots. Also, reduce exposure by wearing protective clothing. The Health Department must conduct large-scale fogging and spraying operations, identify and survey high-risk areas and distribute mosquito coils and medications. Cleaning dirty by-lanes and promoting hygiene awareness through student-led campaigns and mass awareness drives are crucial.
Dr Shruti K Chawla, Chandigarh
Cover water sources
The administration should seek help and co-operation from people to fight dengue. People should cover water sources covered as this particular species of mosquito sits on clean water. People, especially children, should wear full-sleeved shirts. The Health Department should follow up the cases coming to hospitals and to it that water tanks are covered.
Sukhwant Bhullar, Chandigarh
Onus on people
Given the dengue surge, it is the duty of people to keep their homes and surroundings clean and ensure that water does not stagnate. The authorities should keep a vigil at public places for accumulation and leakage of water. Awareness should be spread among the masses.
Abhilasha Gupta, Mohali
Launch helpline
As dengue is caused by low-flying mosquitoes, citizens must be advised to cover lower body with proper clothing. Awareness about mosquito repellent creams should be increased. The administration must start a door-to-door campaign for creating awareness about the prevention of the disease. A helpline number exclusive for dengue cases shall also be helpful.
Yash Khetarpal, Panchkula
Give free treatment
The authorities should make residents aware of dengue, its symptoms and treatment through newspapers and social media. They should engage some people to stage ‘nukkad nataks’ on dengue at famous places in Chandigarh like Sector 17, Sukhna Lake and in schools to sensitise residents. Hospitals should provide free treatment for dengue fever.
Anita Jaswal, Chandigarh
Focus on 3 aspects
The authorities would do well if they focus on these three aspects simultaneously to rid people of the dengue menace: awareness, education and precaution. Besides, easy access to testing and treatment is warranted in earnest.
Lalit Bharadwaj, Panchkula
Use larvicides
The authorities should ensure removal of stagnant water, educate people to maintain cleanliness with regular inspections of potential mosquito breeding sites. Use of larvicides, fish that feed on mosquito larvae, insect repellents, mosquito nets, dengue vaccine, spraying of insecticides in high risk areas should be resorted to. Strong surveillance system to track and report the cases with quick diagnosis and treatment should also be also ensured.
Harinder Singh Bhalla, Chandigarh
Biological control
The authorities should implement integrated vector management, including regular fogging and community clean-up drives to eliminate stagnant water. Introducing biological controls like Wolbachia-infected mosquitoes and promoting the use of mosquito nets and repellents can also help. Enhanced surveillance and rapid response teams to address outbreaks promptly are crucial.
Sargunpreet Kaur, Mohali
Clean gutters
There is a need to launch a robust anti-dengue campaign focusing on educating communities about preventive actions, like covering water containers and cleaning gutters. Weekly inspection of public and residential areas for mosquito breeding sites should be enforced. Mobile health units can be deployed in affected zones for early diagnosis and treatment. Additionally, partnering with schools and workplaces to create ‘dengue-free zones’ through collective clean-up drives can encourage widespread, proactive involvement.
Sahibpreet Singh, Mohali
Rope in influencers
Fumigation efforts should be intensified in the high-risk areas, besides ensuring regular cleaning of waterlogged sites and enforcing strict penalties on negligent waste disposal. Promoting community awareness through campaigns on eliminating standing water at home and using mosquito repellents is essential. Providing free mosquito nets and repellent sprays to vulnerable communities would also help. Collaboration with local influencers to spread preventive tips online can further boost awareness and community engagement in fighting dengue.
Gurpreet Kaur, Mohali
Strengthen infra
To combat the rising dengue cases, authorities should intensify mosquito control efforts, including fogging in the affected areas, using larvicides on stagnant water and promoting community awareness campaigns. Encouraging residents to regularly clean their surroundings, use mosquito repellents and wear protective clothing can reduce the risk of the infection. Additionally, strengthening healthcare infrastructure to handle dengue cases and ensuring timely diagnosis and treatment are crucial steps in controlling its spread.
Gurdev Singh, Mohali
Take timely action
The authorities should intensify fogging in the high-risk areas, enforce penalties for stagnant water and promote community clean-up drives. Regular awareness campaigns on preventive measures, like using mosquito nets and eliminating breeding sites, can engage residents. Deploying drones to monitor potential mosquito breeding spots, coupled with rapid response teams, would enhance efforts, ensuring timely and targeted action against dengue.
Gaganpreet Singh, Mohali
Go for tests
At individual level, one should prompt medical attention and go for a blood diagnosis. Households must ensure that standing water is removed on time. Health is wealth. So it’s important to ensure good health of citizens by taking preventive measures.
Malkeet Kaur Virk, Patiala
Home remedies
A few home remedies are believed to cure dengue. Papaya leaf juice along with harshingar (parijat) leaves and giloy can be taken. Giloy has natural antioxidant properties that can boost immunity and protect body from free radical damage. It is also an antipyretic and hence effective in reducing chronic fever. Concoction of above ingredients taken twice a day can do wonders.
Capt Amar Jeet, Kharar
Surveillance needed
The authorities need to focus on a proactive surveillance system, which can help predict a dengue outbreak. For this, we need to strengthen our serological and virological surveillance network that helps us to differentiate whether the illness is dengue or chikungunya as the initial symptoms are similar in both cases. These macro-level measures should be coupled with the authorities randomly checking overhead tanks, water containers and potential breeding places for mosquitoes.
Brig Advitya Madan, Chandigarh
Avoid shorts
People must be advised to wear full-sleeve clothes to avoid a mosquito bite. Use mosquito repellents when going out for a walk in morning or evening. The authorities must spray anti-malaria oil in the open area regularly. Public must be educated on how to avoid mosquito bite as there is no vaccine to prevent dengue infection.
Col TBS Bedi, Mohali
Weekly inspection
Time-tested and the most effective way to control dengue vectors (mosquitoes) is by eliminating unnecessary water collection. To achieve this, organise training sessions in each locality for cleaners, gardeners and servants to emphasise the importance of draining out standing water. Conduct weekly inspection by designated officials to identify potential larval breeding areas. Treat water bodies that cannot be emptied with larval control bacteria such as BTI Granules or liquid.
Dr AK Sharma, Chandigarh
Fogging need of hour
Fogging exercise in sectors should be conducted regularly and not just once a month. Dengue mosquitoes do not require more than 2-3 days to incubate and proliferate and thus fogging once a month doesn’t serve the purpose. The MC or the administration should set up a toll free number where residents can call and get fogging done in their houses at a minimal cost. An awareness campaign is needed so that the residents do not take incidence of fever in these months lightly and get tested for dengue and subsequent drop in platelet count.
Gurnoor Grewal, Chandigarh
Monitor houses
The authorities should check each and every house as residents are not taking the dengue outbreak seriously. The sector markets, too, need to be monitored. It’s sad that even educated citizens are not aware of protective measures against dengue.
Opinder K Sekhon, Chandigarh
Spray insecticide
Check breeding of mosquitoes, ensure frequent fogging and educate residents on perils of stagnating water. Colonies, slum areas and villages should be paid more attention to check the breeding of mosquitoes. Residents should be asked to keep surroundings clean. Take action against those who are not keeping coolers and water tanks clean.
Dr HS Dhanoa, Chandigarh
Take precautions
Foremost thing to do is the speedy disposal of rainwater. Sanitation workers express their helplessness due to limited resources. People must take precautions as they are the final victims of this administrative apathy. Dengue-causing mosquitoes supposed to breed in fresh water. People must not allow water to stagnate in coolers, water tanks and nearby areas. One must wear full-sleeve shirt and trousers in this season.
Deepak Taak, Panchkula
Give testing kits free
Awareness must be spread among people regarding precautions and cleanliness in houses and nearby areas. Anti-dengue spray in the tricity should be done regularly under the supervision of high-level committee. Old junk that allows water to stagnate must be removed on priority. Testing kit and medical aid should be distributed free. Emergency staff with all arrangements for dengue cases may be deputed in all hospitals.
Kirpal Singh, Chandigarh
Control vector
Since dengue is caused by a mosquito bite, the control over the vector is essential. Care should be taken to remove stagnant water, besides using mosquito repellants. The administration should ensure regular fogging. In case of dengue fever, one must see a doctor and drink plenty of fluids.
NPS Sohal, Chandigarh
