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Public Health / Sanitation

Four Plus v Mosquitoes

Thursday, 04 February 2010 08:13 administrator
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The New Indian Express 04.02.2010

Four Plus v Mosquitoes

Express News Service


KOCHI: The district health officials are banking on Four Plus, the year-long intensive drive to evict mosquitoes and mosquito-related diseases from Ernakulam. Implemented by the state government, the campaign aims at the prevention of the spread of three mosquito-borne diseases - malaria, dengue fever and chikungunya- and ratborne leptospirosis.

Though the mosquito population has gone up drastically in the district in the last couple of months, the health department still maintains that the vector index has not changed much.

“Mosquito population is not high in areas from where malaria and dengue fever cases have been reported. We are keeping a close watch on vectors and have planned various preventive measures,” says Dr K B Peethambaran, Deputy District Medical Officer.

In January alone five malaria cases and three dengue fever cases have been reported from across the district.

What poses concern is the fact that the aedus species mosquitoes, which spread most of the diseases, are increasing in the city and the suburbs. Though preventive measures like fogging and spraying are carried out in the district they have failed to control the mosquito menace.

Now the officials hope that the Four Plus campaign that includes departments like Health, Local Self Government, Social Welfare, Education, Agriculture, Animal Husbandry, Water Resources and Public Works and the Kudumbasree Mission will control the problem more effectively. “Since the campaign ensures timely work in ward levels we are hopeful of managing the mosquito issue. Vector surveillance is very active and we have come up with a protocol for all these four diseases,” says Dr Peethambaran.

Though mosquito population is high in Vypeen areas, the species here has been found to be harmless compared to the aedus species swarming the city.

Last Updated on Thursday, 04 February 2010 08:16
 

Upgrade Palike hospitals, says Commissioner

Wednesday, 03 February 2010 10:56 administrator
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Deccan Herald 03.02.2010

Upgrade Palike hospitals, says Commissioner
Bangalore, Feb2, DHNS:

Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike Commissioner Bharat Lal Meena, on Tuesday, inspected the Shanthinagar Constituency along with MLA N A Harris and visited Ulsoor Referral Hospital, Austin Town Maternity Hospital and Shanthinagar Referral Hospital.

 

 

He inspected the treatment given to patients, the surgery section, the infrastructure facilities and maintenance of cleanliness in these hospitals.

There are six referral hospitals, 24 maternity hospitals, 29 health centres and 19 family welfare centres within the BBMP limits, wherein the poor are served free of cost and at a nominal fee for the others.

The Palike commissioner instructed the chief health officer to take steps to ensure that the Palike hospitals are upgraded. Based on the inputs given by the MLA, the Commissioner said people from the economically weaker sections of the society should have access to good health care free of cost.

 

 

 

 

 

Quiet flows sewage, not water, in Puducherry pond

Wednesday, 03 February 2010 05:49 administrator
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The Hindu 03.02.2010

Quiet flows sewage, not water, in Puducherry pond

Rajesh B. Nair

It was helpful in recharging groundwater

Photo: T. Singaravelou

Filthy metamorphosis: Life keeps oozing out of the Aayi pond in Puducherry. —

PUDUCHERRY: The historically significant Aayi pond, situated a few metres from the drinking water pumping station at Muthirapalayam, is in a state of neglect for the last few years.

The pond named after renowned courtesan Aayi, who claimed to have built the pond after demolishing her house, is slowly turning into a reservoir of sullage, residents of the area said. Though not a direct source of drinking water, the pond was of immense help in recharging groundwater in the area.

Residents complained that sullage channel passing through the area had breached at a point.

This led to discharge of sewage collected from houses and industries into the pond. K. Rammoorthy of Sembadugai Nanneeragam Environmental Organisation, which had been campaigning to protect the waterbody, said that the discharge of sullage had increased in the recent months.

Mr. Rammoorthy said that the ancient pond was a major source of groundwater recharge in the entire area.

There were more than 10 borewells in the area to drain groundwater into the pumping station, he said, adding that the discharge of sullage had become a cause of concern.

“We have been forced to live with the foul smell emanating from the pond. This has also led to accumulation of silt. We have been appealing to the government to de-silt the pond,” he said.

The accumulation of silt has reduced storage level in the pond. “Earlier, it could store rainwater during a few days of rain. Now, even two days of heavy downpour is enough to fill the pond, leading to spill over of stormwater to the roads,” he said.

Chief Engineer, Public Works Department, S. Manohar, said that if there is breach in the sullage channel, he would immediately instruct officers to rectify it. However, he ruled out any contamination of water as the borewells were deep. The water was being well treated at the pumping station, he added.

On the demand made by residents to de-silt the pond, he said funds constraint had come in the way of cleaning up major ponds and lakes.

Last Updated on Wednesday, 03 February 2010 05:50
 
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