Muzaffarpur, May 2: The utility of spraying dichlorodiphenylichloroethane (DDT) to kill or keep sand flies at bay has been put to question after 980 fresh cases of kala-azar were diagnosed in the district.

The state health department had provided Rs 74 lakh for sprinkling DDT in 1,273 kala-azar affected hamlets in the district. But the efforts proved to be futile after diagnosis of several people, including women and children, hit by the disease. Mandarins of the health department are at their wits’ end as a survey conducted by the health department has diagnosed a huge number of cases, putting a definite question mark on the utility and usefulness of the move to spray DDT this year.

More than 925 personnel were pressed into service to spray 95 metric tonnes of DDT in 1,273 villages over a span of 60 days. The health department has also targeted 1,000 more villages in the district to spray DDT.

According to rumours in the health department, the spraying of DDT was made only on paper. District malaria officer Dr Bhagirathi Prasad said he had sought the utility certificate from all the blocks in the district, particularly those largely hit by the menace. Officers concerned of the blocks, including Paroo, Kudhani, Bochahan, Motipur, Saraiya, Sakra, Minapur, Bandra, Sahebganj and Gaighat, have so far not furnished the utility certificates in spite of repeated reminders, said Dr Prasad, adding that it is suspected the spraying of DDT has not been satisfactory.

Expressing serious concerns over the abrupt rise in the number of kala-azar patients, Dr T.K. Jha, an expert on the disease, said: “It is frightening to note that the number of kala-azar cases have increased in an unprecedented manner in spite of sprinkling DDT.”

Chief medical officer Dr A.P. Singh told The Telegraph the intensive spraying of DDT has been made to prevent further outbreak of the disease in the affected villages. The health department is also mulling to carry out spraying of DDT in 1,000 more villages in vulnerable pockets of Paroo, Bochahan, Sahebganj, Minapur, Saraiya and Marwan blocks. Dr G.K. Thakur, the superintendent of Sri Krishna Medical College and Hospital, where a large number of patients are undergoing treatment, said the kala-azar control board has directed National Vector Borne Disease ControlProgramme, Mumbai, to carry out spraying of DDT in affected villages at least twice a year to keep sand flies at bay. Apart from suggesting to monitor the cases, the board has also directed to ensure proper treatment of the ailing patients.