KARACHI: Fumigation campaign to continue, says nazim
KARACHI, Oct 31: City Nazim Syed Mustafa Kamal on Tuesday said that fumigation would continue till elimination of dengue virus. Addressing a meeting held at his office to review ongoing fumigation drive, the nazim directed the authorities concerned to undertake the spray drive in third phase in all parts of the metropolis on priority basis. He dispelled the impression that filthy water was accumulating in the city, saying that ‘no filthy water was accumulating anywhere in or around the city’, where the virus of dengue fever was replicating. He said that the particular mosquito, spreading dengue fever, bred in clean water.
Mr Kamal said that germicide sprays were being sprayed twice a day previously, which was now being undertaken thrice a day. He said that the major focus of fumigation was public places and educational institutes.
He asked people to lodge their complaints on city government’s toll free telephone number 0800-12012, if fumigation sprays were not conducted in their areas. The city government and town administration’s staff would immediately reach the area with spray vehicles, he said adding a District Officer had been deputed in this regard, who would take actions on emergency basis.
The nazim said tests of dengue fever in early days were being conducted only in Islamabad, which was causing delay in diagnosing the disease. The city government provided testing facility at its hospitals, where these tests were being conducted free of cost, and test kits in sufficient quantity were provided there, he claimed.
He said the experts were still conducting research to prepare anti-dengue fever vaccination, and its treatments needed preventive measures. He said that fumigation campaign launched by the city government and towns’ administration would be carried out till the target was achieved. He advised citizens to take precautionary measures to avoid the disease.
Mustafa Kamal directed the officials concerned that the areas where complaints of no fumigation were received should be particularly covered in the third round of fumigation. He said that hemorrhagic fever was not the exclusive phenomenon occurred in Karachi or Pakistan but presently more than 12 million people across the world were affected by the dengue virus.
Meanwhile, the nazim visited Kothari Parade and Bagh Ibn-i-Qasim to inspect ongoing development work there.
During his visit, he said that the city government was undertaking concerted efforts for the provision of recreational facilities to the people. He pointed out that special attention was being paid towards construction, development and rehabilitation of playgrounds, family parks, gardens as well as recreational places.—PPI/APP
