A volunteer distributes leaflets to spread awareness about dengue. Telegraph picture

Bhubaneswar, Sept. 16: The state government today decided to step up its anti-dengue operation in industrial and mining belts where the disease is raging.

While Jajpur district has reported maximum number of 622 dengue cases, including two deaths, the worst affected area in the district has been the Kalinga Nagar industrial belt, which houses several steel plants.

The industrial belts have always been prone to the disease.

In 2011 and 2012, the Angul-Talcher industrial belt had hit the headlines following a string of dengue cases.

The state has reported 1,547 cases of dengue, which has claimed four lives so far. With a majority of cases being reported from the industrial clusters, a health department official today suggested that the state government should adopt a public health policy for the industrial belts.

Presiding over a meeting to review the prevailing situation and the government preparedness to tackle the vector-borne disease, chief minister Naveen Patnaik asked the officials to step up sanitation measures in various industrial and mining belts.

Emphasis was laid to earmark a dedicated health centre for the industrial and mining belts besides appointing a nodal officer to monitor the sanitation measures.

Tata Steel authorities were asked to take necessary measures to combat dengue at Kalinga Nagar, where the company is building a steel plant. Sources said high incidents of dengue cases were reported from the area.

It was also decided to step up disease surveillance at Kalinga Nagar and other vulnerable pockets.

“Apart from the unplanned growth in industrial and mining areas, travel history is also related to the spread of dengue as people from across the nation are coming to work at the industrial sites. While there should be proper cleanliness and sanitation measures, regular health check-up can also help to dengue spread,” said nodal officer on malaria Madan Mohan Pradhan.

Seven districts — Jajpur, Keonjhar, Dhenkanal, Angul, Bhadrak, Khurda and Balasore — have asked to remain alert and take all possible measures to prevent dengue outbreak.

These districts have together reported 1,157 of 1,547 dengue positive cases.

Health minister Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak, however, said all possible measures were being taken to prevent dengue.

The health minister said dengue deaths had been on the decline over the years due to positive intervention and growing level of public awareness about the disease.

The minister said dengue deaths had come down from 33 in 2011 to six each in 2012 and 2013.

Naveen also directed the officials to keep all the water sources clean and adequate medicine stocks at health centres in vulnerable areas.