The Pioneer             20.06.2013

MCD begins sanitation drive to prevent diseases

With the water logging in most areas of the town has been receding, the Municipal Corporation of Dehradun has started focusing on facilitating the level of civic sanitation needed to prevent further spread of diseases.

The early advent of the monsoon caught the MCD unaware and the delay in cleaning the clogged drains had exacerbated the water logging experienced in various parts of the State capital.

Corporation's senior city health officer Dr Gurpal Singh informed that the corporation has already employed about 45 workers for cleaning drains and added that these workers have been working from morning up to 2 pm and their works are also monitored on a daily basis. The JCB of the MCD which was out of working order has been repaired and with more pumps being acquired, the corporation now has three pumps which are being used as and where needed.

The city has been divided into four zones with 15 municipal wards each in one zone which in turn is being overseen by a junior engineer. Five workers and one supervisor have been deputed to each ward to ensure that the desired level of civic sanitation is facilitated. Dr Singh said that since contaminated water is a public health risk at present, people are advised to boil water before drinking it and also urged people to avoid eating out in places where the level of hygiene is questionable.

Since the weather is fluctuating between warm and cool temperatures, people should take precautions against viral infection and skin allergies. The people should also make sure that there is no stagnant water in their residential premises to prevent mosquitoes from breeding there.

The senior city health officer further said that the drains being cleaned by the corporation staffs are being sprayed while fogging to tackle the mosquito population will be started from Wednesday evening, he added.