CMC launches cleanliness drive after spurt in dengue cases in Cuttack, locals say too little too late

The Cuttack Municipal Corporation (CMC) launched a cleanliness drive in Cuttack following the detection of dengue cases in the city.

Though dengue cases have been prevalent in Bhubaneswar for more than a month, no cases were detected in the millennium city till now. However, recent government data revealed that at least 72 dengue cases have been detected under the Cuttack Municipal Corporation.

CMC’s cleanliness drive includes cutting bushes and spraying mosquito oil in the CDA residential area which has turned up to be the hotspot for the disease.

CMC Sanitation Officer, Jatindra Kumar Nayak said, “We are now cutting bushes in sector 10. We will move to sector 11 and clean other areas subsequently. Our health team along with Swachha Sathis are continuously making the people aware of dengue.”

“Particularly the terraces of people where they leave empty flower vases and pots are a major cause of dengue. Accumulated rainwater serves as a breeding ground for Aedes mosquitoes,” he said.

However, the locals of the CDA accused the CMC of the same. “I have not seen anti-mosquito smoke ever in sector 10. There is no bush-cutting in the area despite repeated demands from us,” alleged a CDA local, Swarnaprabha Mohanty.

Notably, Bhubaneswar is witnessing a spurt in dengue cases over the last few weeks. As per the Superintendent of Capital Hospital, as many as 300-400 samples are being tested at the hospital and around 50-60 positive cases are being detected on a daily basis.