Dengue spreads tentacles in Odisha as capital city becomes mosquito hotspot

As dengue fast spreading its tentacles in Bhubaneswar, Municipal Corporations in Cuttack and Berhampur, are reportedly struggling to keep the mosquitoes in check too.

Empty flower vases, abandoned tyres, and broken pots lying in the open accumulating rain water for days have turned breeding spots for Aedes mosquitoes responsible for dengue.

From the parking place of Housing Board office at Unit-3 to IRC Village and Pokhariput, mosquitoes have chose Bhubaneswar as their breeding ground. And the results are there for all to see as well. As per reports, Bhubaneswar has recorded 148 dengue positive patients till now.

It is not that the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) is not doing anything. In fact, health officials are distributing leaflets and making people aware of dengue and how to avoid being infected with it. But all the efforts do not seem to turn into results as dengue cases keep on rising in the smart city.

“We have to keep the hard surface areas clean. That is why we have introduced dry days on each Thursday and Saturday to keep our surroundings clean of unnecessary accumulation of water. I request all to check their surroundings and get rid of unnecessary accumulation of water near their homes,” said (BMC Commissioner, Vijay Amruta Kulange.

The Cuttack Municipal Corporation (CMC) is no exception as well. With the advent of monsoon, dengue too has begun to spread its tentacles in the millennium city. A master plan has reportedly been prepared by the CMC to manage dengue in hotspots. An awareness campaign has also been launched. Moreover, a dedicated dengue ward has also been opened in the SCB hospital with a capacity of 80 beds.

“We are conducting an awareness campaign for dengue in Cuttack. I am glad that residents of Cuttack are joining the campaign on their own. My ward is a dengue hotspot. We will be able to eradicate the menace with mutual cooperation,” said Corporator of Ward number 26 Gagan Ojha.

Speaking about the current dengue cases, CMC Health Officer Satyabrata Mohapatra said, “Though there are currently no active dengue cases in Cuttack, we have prepared beds in SCB and City hospitals to tackle any cases that may arise in the future.”

The dengue situation is no better in Berhampur too. Aedes mosquitoes have been breeding in the silk city in small water bodies created by accumulated rainwater.

“We want the drain in our area to be clean, so that mosquitoes do not get a chance to breed here. But the Corporation does not seem to pay heed to our demands. They are only doing campaigns but never clean our area,” alleged Basanta Kumar Behera, a resident of Triveninagar in Berhampur.