KARACHI, Nov 2: City Nazim Syed Mustafa Kamal has held out the assurance that public complaints regarding fumigation against mosquito-borne diseases will be given due attention.
He was talking to the callers who had approached the city government’s Helpline through the toll free number 0800-12012 during his surprise visit to the complaint centre at the Civic Centre on Thursday morning.
He told the callers that the city government had set up a special cell having spray-machine mounted vehicles, which would immediately move to an area specified by a complainant.
While attending calls from the complainants for about one and a half hour, the city nazim issued orders for the redressal of their complaints.
The callers appeared to be residents of North Nazimabad, North Karachi, New Karachi, Federal B Area, Gulistan-i-Jauhar, Landhi, Korangi, Orangi, Baldia and other areas who requested adequate fumigation in their localities.
Some private schools and institutions, including the Pak-American Cultural Centre, also requested for more sprays in their vicinities.
Some people from Cantonment Station and Askari-I areas claimed that the administration of their areas was not taking interest in conducting fumigation.
On the occasion, Mr Kamal directed the In-charge of the fumigation drive, Dr Shaukat Zaman, to add one more telephone number to the Helpline. He also asked him to conduct fumigation in a deficit area within five hours after receiving a complaint from there.
“A team of motorcycle riders, too, be formed for spraying germicides in those lanes which could not be accessed through bigger vehicles. The bike-sprayers may also fumigate portions deep inside the buildings with handsets,” he added.
Some 600 workers of the city government’s health department would be deputed for the purpose, he said.
The city nazim ordered sending of fumigation staff to the areas specified by complainants even in night hours as the process has to be continued round the clock. Pointing out that there were many areas in the city which were not in the jurisdiction of the CDGK but the city government had decided to conduct sprays even in such areas.
Meanwhile, city government staff conducted sprays in 10 UCs of North Nazimabad employing more than 40 spraying machine-mounted vehicles. Nazim Mumtaz Hamid, Naib Nazim Ehsanullah and TMO Nayyar Iqbal of North Nazimabad, besides Dr Shaukat Zaman, were also present.
Meanwhile, an emergency centre has been established at the central office of Lyari Town by TMO Khursheed Ali as part of efforts to control dengue fever.
Complaints would be attended round-the-clock at the centre, while work would be performed in three shifts. Citizens can lodge complaints on phone number 24543001. They could also directly contact Town Health Officer Dr Captain Agha Iqbal on 2540891 or 0300-3582517.
Town Nazim Malik Fayyaz has appealed to the public to take precautionary measures against dengue virus. He said fumigation spray would also be carried out in educational institutes.—PPI
