The Trinamool-run civic board in Siliguri Municipal Corporation (SMC) has planned a series of preventive measures to curb dengue and other vector-borne diseases across the civic area.
Government health officials fear a surge in the number of dengue cases this year as the numbers were fewer in the last couple of years, sources said.
“In 2022, around 3,000 cases of dengue were reported in the SMC area but the number reduced to 176 in 2024 because of the preventive measures. According to reports from the health department and experts, there is a trend that dengue cases increase every two years,” Gautam Deb, the mayor, said on Wednesday after attending a meeting with the health officials of Darjeeling and Jalpaiguri.
“That is why we have taken all possible necessary measures to restrict the number of dengue cases and vector-borne diseases this year,” the mayor added.
According to the mayor, the SMC has drawn a map of all 47 wards and has prepared a report about waterlogging, the number of under-construction buildings, stretches of uncovered drains, vacant plots, dumping pits, and conservancy services of the respective areas.
Drones have been used for aerial surveys to prepare the report with a map to get a clear view of the areas.
Sources in the civic body said the trends of earlier years show that eight to nine wards of the city are vulnerable to dengue infection, as most of the cases were reported from these areas.
The conservancy department and the health workers have been instructed to keep strict vigil in these "vulnerable zones", said a source.
The civic body has also procured 200 new sprayers to reduce mosquitoes, the source added.
“Almost 400 vacant plots have been identified across the civic area where there is accumulated waste. The conservancy department has cleared 135 sites, and owners of the rest of the plots were asked to remove the garbage,” said the mayor.
He said that on April 12, the employees who work to control vector-borne diseases would be trained at the Dinabandhu Mancha here.
“From next month, the health workers will start conducting a door-to-door survey to find out patients with fever and suspected dengue symptoms,” added Deb.