Reeling under the grip of Covid pandemic resurgence, the district of Khordha has now a fresh reason to worry. The spiralling cases of dengue in the district have become serious concern for the administration as well as the residents.
As per the available data, there were only 66 cases of the vector-borne disease in the district last year. However, a whopping 212 dengue cases have been detected in Khordha alone in the last two months, revealed a district administration report.
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Entomologists said the steady surge in cases is likely due to a high level of mosquito breeding due to accumulation of stagnant water and dumping of garbage at open spaces during the monsoon.
Forget about public residential locations, while conducting a ground zero investigation, OTV correspondent found heaps of garbage dumped in the drain in and around the premises of Khordha District Headquarters Hospital (DHH). Similar was the scene in and outside the premises of Khordha Municipality office.
“Each sewer in the town leads to a drain sump pit and each pit has been dug within a distance of 50 feet to 100 feet. These pits generally remain opened and become the breeding ground for mosquitoes. I also feel the municipality has not taken any appropriate preventive measures to stop the spread of the disease despite knowing that the vector-borne infection breaks out mostly during monsoon,” alleged Bimala Sarangi, a resident of Khordha Town.
A senior advocate in the town, Nrusingha Nath Mishra alleged that all drains in the town are choked with mud, silted water and garbage and they have not been declogged. If the cleaning drive is not taken up immediately, more people will get infected with dengue,” he added.
As per reports, the number of dengue cases in urban areas, particularly in Bhubaneswar, is on a serious rise this year. Locals alleged that due to the failure of garbage management in Khordha, the under construction drains have been choked with wastes and waste materials.
Sanjay Kumar Patnaik, Secretary of Khordha Lawyers’ Association claimed that if no ameliorative measures are taken to address the situation, the district will report the highest number of dengue cases just like it continues to tops in the Covid-19 list in Odisha,” added Patnaik.
On the other hand, Chief District Medical Officer (CDMO) of Khorhda, Biswaranjan Pati said an urgent circular will be sent to the district administration to take up precautionary measures to combat the situation.
“Although the dengue cases are yet to touch the rural areas of the district, it is on the rise in the urban region. We will take measures to spread awareness and write letter to the district administration to launch a drive to clean the drains, dustbins and stagnant water bodies,” said Pati.