The BMC said data of 25,909 people have been collected from 6193 households in the last 24 hours while awareness and cleanliness programmes have been widened.
The civic body has destroyed 2999 potential mosquito breeding sites. Besides, larvae of Aedes mosquitoes have been detected and destroyed at 815 locations.
Earlier on Monday, Capital Hospital Director Laxmidhar Sahoo had asserted that there is no shortage of beds for treatment of patients of the vector-borne disease.
“As the admission of Covid-19 patients has decreased, wards are lying vacant in the hospital. There is no dearth of beds and we can admit more than 100 dengue patients. We have not refused admission to any patient so far,” Sahoo had said.
Pradhan stated in the letter that more than one lakh people reside in Salia Sahi and if immediate steps are not taken, dengue situation could aggravate further in the slum.
The Union Minister also mentioned in the letter about lack of proper drainage and sewerage system in Salia Sahi.
The Salia Sahi Anchalika Committee had submitted a petition on dengue before Pradhan following which the Union Minister wrote to the Chief Minister drawing his attention.
Though residents of Salia Sahi claim five persons of the slum have died so far because of dengue, the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) has put the death toll at only one.
Entomology experts and senior officials of the Health and Family Welfare Department Monday visited slum pockets and various colonies of Niladri Vihar and Sailashree Vihar area under the North Zone limits of the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation.
The entomologists under National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme and BMC also held discussions with community members. The officials said that around 900 families are residing at Sitanath Nagar and Harekrushna Nagar slums in unhealthy environments.
After visiting the affected localities, the entomologists have found an absence of proper awareness among the people and stagnant water lying in pots. Mosquito larvae were also found in some of the pots.
Aedes aegypti mosquitoes lay their eggs in clean water found in discarded paper cups, coconut shells, tyres, air- coolers, and flowerpots. Urban slums and sites under construction often contribute to the spread of mosquitoes.
As one has to undergo ELISA test for detection of dengue, the BMC authorities have said that they will carry out ELISA tests of all suspected persons under the North Zone limits of the civic body.
BMC Commissioner SK Singh has directed both the BMC and Health and Family Welfare Department officials to ensure visits of Health and ASHA workers, sanitary inspectors, ward officer, and community organisers for conducting awareness drives.
While the city is working on a mission mode for testing, vaccinating, and treating the COVID-19 cases, the civic authorities are also giving equal emphasis to monitor and control suspected cases of dengue in the North Zone, a senior official of the BMC said.