LAHORE: As the number of hot spots of dengue larvae crosses 35,385 in the Punjab capital, the administration of Lahore division has put the departments concerned on high alert with a direction to station at various localities of Allama Iqbal zone.

These areas include Bahria Town, Johar Town, Sabzazaar, Iqbal Town and Mustafa Town which are considered highly sensitive areas. The decision to put the departments on high alert has been taken keeping in view growing suspected, probable and confirmed dengue fever cases since January, a lack of awareness and other technical and administrative issues.

“We have intensified our drive against dengue keeping in view the increasing hot spots of dengue larvae growth and detection. We have also identified Allama Iqbal Zone as very sensitive after our teams detected dengue larvae from various spots,” Lahore Commissioner Amir Jan told Dawn on Sunday.

“We have also asked the field teams to station at various parts of Allama Iqbal zone, especially Bahria Town, Johar Town, Iqbal Town, Sabzazar, Mustafa Town and other localities where a lot of dengue larvae hot spots, patients etc have been reported,” he added.

Officials on their toes amid surge in cases

According to an official report compiled by the departments concerned, including the Lahore City administration and the Metropolitan Corporation Lahore (MCL), the teams from Jan 1 to Sept 18 detected and wiped off 35,389 hot spots. The suspected and probable cases reported to the administration during this period were 5,594 and 583 respectively. However, the number of confirmed dengue patients / cases till Sept 18 was 1,380 that included 1,133 reported in the last 30 days alone.

Similarly, in the last seven days (Sept 12 to 18), the number of confirmed patients / cases remained 438 that included 53 reported in the last 24 hours. The report mentions the teams during a number of visits in 2022 (till Sept 18) detected and destructed dengue larvae at 99,992 spots that included 1,245 detected by end of Sept 17.

The field teams also issued notices to 92,382 people, premises etc besides getting FIRs lodged under dengue regulations against 3,208 people for littering and causing dengue larvae growth. Moreover, 889 people were arrested. It further informs that the teams, during the last 24 hours, issued notices to 1,278 people / premises, got 29 FIRs lodged and arrested seven people for flouting dengue regulations.

The report reveals that the teams also carried out inter-residual spray (anti-mosquito) at the suspected / confirmed dengue patients’ houses for 179,744 times. Moreover, the IRS was also carried out for 728,783 times in a bid to destruct dengue larvae. The fog spray was performed for 37,391 times at several places.

The report says that as the bed occupancy (dengue patients) has reached 17 per cent, as many as 63 departments are taking part in the ongoing dengue drive. “We are scheduled to conduct two major operations in Gulberg this week against dengue. Besides this, we are launching a special cleanliness drive in the areas starting from Lahore Railway Station to Badami Bagh,” the commissioner said, adding that the teams of LWMC, Wasa, MCL, PHA, Lesco, Railways and some other departments would participate in this major activity.

Answering a question, Jan said he would pass necessary instructions soon to the dengue surveillance field teams to leave their contact numbers at the houses / premises where no one opens the gate / door.

CLEANLINESS: As the city’s shining and green drive continues, the Lahore Waste Management Company (LWMC) carried out a special cleaning operation on Sunday in various parts of the city.

According to company MD Ms Rafia Haider, the teams in the last 24 hours collected 6,150 tonnes of solid waste from all nine towns / zones in the city and disposed it of at Lakhudair landfill site.

“In addition, the LWMC has collected 750 tonnes of waste from Allama Iqbal Town, 550 tonne from Gulberg, 650 tonne from Nishtar, 650 tonne from Samanabad, 400 tonne from Aziz Bhatti, 650 tonne from Data Ganj Bakhsh, 550 tonne from Ravi, 550 tonne from Shalimar and 400 tonne from Wagah Town. “Moreover, 400 tonnes of waste was collected from Saggian and 150 tonne from Rajgarh area,” Ms Haider explained.

She said besides day to day operation, mechanical washing and sweeping of major roads was in full swing. Since illegal dumping and scattering of construction materials on the roads was hampering the clean-up operation, she said, the LWMC enforcement wing had been activated to curb such illegal dumping of waste and take action under the Local Government Act.

Published in Dawn, September 19th, 2022