Udupi Deputy Commissioner T.K. Swaroopa says that the breeding spots of mosquitoes should be destroyed, be in public or private properties.
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Udupi Deputy Commissioner T.K. Swaroopa on Saturday instructed urban local bodies to take all necessary precautionary measures to contain the spread of infectious diseases in their jurisdictions during the rainy season, as dengue, chikungunya, and malaria cases were mostly reported in urban areas in the district over the last four or five years.Presiding over the Dengue/Malaria Inter-Departmental Coordination Committee meeting in her office in Udupi, she said that local bodies should ensure that there was no stagnation of rainwater. Teams comprising volunteers, health department staff, and ASHA workers should visit houses to clear mosquito breeding in outdoor areas and create awareness about the spread of infectious diseases.She said that the breeding spots of mosquitoes should be destroyed, be in public or private properties.She said that the health department staff, local organisations, and gram panchayats should work in coordination to prevent the spread of infectious diseases and take steps to control diseases in partnership with the community.Local organisations should cooperate to ensure that waste is disposed of scientifically. Throwing garbage everywhere leads to the spread of some diseases. “It is the responsibility of every citizen to maintain a clean environment, and the government officials should not be indifferent to this,” she said.Generally, during the monsoon, water accumulates in outdoor areas around houses and buildings, in solid waste, in tyres, coconut shells, and other places, and larvae thrive in those places. The eradication of mosquito breeding grounds should be taken forward with the participation of local people. Hotels and other restaurants should be made to maintain cleanliness, she added.The Deputy Commissioner said that labourers from outside Udupi district and from other States come to the district in search of employment. They also have the potential to spread infectious diseases, and for control, the local bodies should convene a meeting with construction companies and labour contractors to make them aware of the preventive measures that can be taken to control the diseases. Health check-ups for labourers can be arranged.The Deputy Commissioner said that cleanliness should be prioritised in fisheries and harbours.She said that awareness programs should be conducted regularly in all hostels, schools, colleges, anganwadis.Meetings of personnel from village health and sanitation committees should be held in every gram panchayat to prevent the spread of infectious diseases, she added. Published - June 06, 2026 06:40 pm IST
