RAWALPINDI: All the departments of City District Government Rawalpindi (CDGR) on Monday observed Anti-Dengue Day to create awareness of precautionary measures for dengue among the people.

Different departments arranged walks in different parts of the garrison city and distributed pamphlets to raise awareness of the disease.

Transport department team led by Dr. Mazhar Azeem inspected the buses and wagons as well as shops and restaurants at Pirwadhai bus terminal and informed the shopkeepers and the public how to eradicate the dengue mosquitoes in their surrounding areas.

Water and Sanitation Agency (Wasa) organised a dengue awareness seminar at its offices at Liaquat Bagh.

Wasa Managing Director Raja Shaukat Mahmood briefed the participant about the efforts of civic agencies aimed at eradicating the disease.

He said Wasa had fumigated all the offices, districts offices, site offices, overhead water tanks, tubewells and employee residential colonies.

The Wasa managing director said the agency had also established rapid response teams which would clear water ponds and plug water leakages in its jurisdiction.

Wasa Rawalpindi has also arranged training programmes for its employees with the help of health department.

In the end, a dengue awareness walk was held from Rawalpindi Press Club to Liaquat Bagh Murree Road during which pamphlets were distributed among the people.

Environment Protection Agency-Punjab (EPA-Punjab) also arranged a walk in Gowalmandi in collaboration with tyre traders.

The EPA officials also briefed the participants about the precautionary measures the people should take for the dengue fever in monsoon.

Rawalpindi Arts Council (RAC) arranged a walk which was attended by doctors, students and general public.

At the end of the walk pamphlets were also distributed among the people.

Besides this, a documentary on dengue fever is being shown at RAC auditorium daily before the start of every programme. The council has also set up anti-dengue awareness desk.

On the Anti-Dengue Day, a poster competition was also arranged among students where they showed their skills.

However, the health department arranged the walk within its premises at Khyaban-i-Sir Syed. The departments’ doctors urged the people to take measures to avoid the dengue virus.

In Fatehjang, the education department organised a seminar to raise awareness of anti-dengue measures.

Experts from health department stressed the need of taking appropriate measures against the virus.

They told the audience to keep their houses, particularly their bathrooms clean and regularly spray insecticide to keep mosquitoes away.

Addressing on the occasion, the deputy district education officer, Mubashar Ahmad, said the Punjab government was taking interest in eradicating the dengue virus.

Mr Mubashar said various teams of the health departments had been deputed to spray insecticides in urban and rural areas.

After the seminar a walk was held to raise awareness of anti-dengue measures, which was led by the deputy district education officer and senior staff member of the education department.

A large number of teachers, students, and civil society members participated in the walk which ended on main chowk in front of the Fatehjang press club.

Published in Dawn, June 16th, 2015

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