RAWALPINDI: Dengue mosquito larvae were found in 1,471 houses in the garrison city during a surveillance campaign overthe last two weeks, setting alarm bells ringing for the district administration.

Deputy Commissioner Dr. Hassan Waqar Cheema has taken swift action in response to the presence of dengue larvae in the garrison city. He directed the District Health Authority Rawalpindi to take immediate action for dengue preventive activities.

Specifically, he has asked health authorities to increase surveillance at the union council level to combat the spread of dengue larvae.

This proactive approach aims to prevent a potential outbreak and protect the community from the dangers of dengue fever.

He said the Punjab government has issued clear directives to protect citizens from the dengue virus. To achieve this, all departments will work together to eliminate dengue larvae and launch awareness campaigns. Enhanced surveillance, both indoors and outdoors, will be a top priority, along with stricter fines and legal actions for non-compliance.

He said to stop the spread of dengue, the government will also intensify public awareness campaigns. This comprehensive approach aims to reduce the incidence of dengue, lower mortality rates, and develop a sustainable system for prevention and control, he added.

He was presiding over a meeting of the District Emergency Response Committee held at the Deputy Commissioner Office Rawalpindi in which measures regarding the prevention and control of dengue were reviewed.

Officials of the district health authority briefed the meeting about the activities ongoing from Feb 24 to March 2, under which 59,146 houses were inspected in the union councils of Potohar Town, Chaklala Cantonment, Rawalpindi Cantonment and Municipal Corporation Rawalpindi.

During this, 310 indoor teams were deployed, which achieved 91pc target. Besides, 105 teams were appointed for outdoor surveillance, which inspected 18,311 locations and identified larvae at a total of 9,788 locations.

During March 3-7, 53,773 houses were inspected, in which 316 indoor teams were deployed. So far, 28,733 houses have been inspected, out of which dengue larvae were found in 1,417 houses.

The officials said 109 teams were deployed under outdoor surveillance, which inspected 9,030 locations and confirmed the presence of larvae at 2 locations.

On March 5, larvae were found at 18 locations during the inspection of 9,529 houses, while larvae were found at two locations during the inspection of 3,165 outdoor locations. The meeting was also briefed about the legal actions taken during 2025, according to which 34 FIRs were registered, 17 locations were sealed, 233 challans were issued, and a total fine of Rs210,500 was imposed.

They also informed the meeting about the dengue awareness campaign at the Union Council level, special cleanliness drives and meetings of parliamentarians at the parliamentary level.

Moreover, the meeting was also briefed on the status of IRS pumps, according to which out of 429 pumps, 330 have been repaired while 99 pumps are yet to be repaired.

The district administration officials said that all departments should work together to make the ongoing campaign against dengue more effective.

Published in Dawn, March 8th, 2025