Dengue cases in Panchkula dist cross 1,200-mark

Over 1,200 cases of dengue have been recorded in Panchkula district this season. Of these, nearly 50% have been recorded in Panchkula city alone, raising a question on steps being initiated by the Municipal Corporation to control the disease.

Till date, the district has recorded 1,233 dengue cases. The number is the second highest in past some years as 2,022 cases were recorded in 2022. The district had recorded 589 cases of dengue in 2023, 906 in 2021, 78 in 2020, 33 in 2019 and 143 cases in 2018.

In the district, highest number of cases is recorded in the Panchkula city area. While 198 cases have been recorded in old Panchkula, 139 in the Surajpur area, 17 in the Nanakpur area, 43 in Kalka, 122 in Pinjore, 18 in Morni, 42 in Kot, 33 in Barwala and seven in Hangola, the urban segment of Panchkula has recorded the highest number of cases at 589 — nearly half of the total cases in the district.

The District Health Department has been carrying out surveillance drives and educating residents about the disease. As per the department, over 10.67 lakh houses (on repeat visits) have been covered in the district. Till date, the department has collected over 11,947 samples for dengue serology.

On the other hand, 11,558 notices have been issued by the Municipal Corporation under Section 214 of the Municipal Bylaws Act (1973) till date.

As per city Mayor Kulbhushan Goyal, this time the variant of dengue mosquito is different. He also raised doubt over the efficacy of the fogging exercise. “We have held meetings with officials of the Health Department and asked them for information regarding most-affected areas to carry out fogging and other preventive measures.”

“We carried out fogging multiple times in areas showing increase in number of cases, but the chemical being use in fogging is not effective. We will carry out the measures as per information received from the Health Department.”