Vellore Collector P Sankar inaugurated a mass cleaning drive in Zone 1, Dharapadavedu, of Vellore Corporation on Wednesday.

The initiative has been undertaken to control mosquito breeding in the area, in an effort to prevent water-borne diseases like dengue and chikungunya.

On Wednesday, the collector flagged off 15 vehicles, each with 20 workers, to carry out the mass cleaning activities.

Collector P Sankar said the drive included source reduction activities such as checking places of water stagnation on terraces and water tubs in houses and clearing plastic wastes, polythene bags and worn out tyres.

Deputy director of Health Services, Dr K Poongodi said nearly 200 members from the Department of Health and 100 persons from the Corporation were involved in the mass cleaning drive. The cleaning drive would be carried out in other zones like Sathuvachari, Vellore, Shenbakkam, as well as other municipalities and town panchayats in the coming days. The mass cleaning programme would be completed before the commencement of monsoon. She said the workers would also carry out fogging.

Mayor P Karthiyayini, commissioner P Janaki Raveendran and engineer E Devakumar were present on the occasion.