A day after a 12-year old resident of Kalighat died due to dengue, state chief secretary HK Dwivedi held an emergency meeting in Nabanna to take stock of the situation and issued a host of directives to combat it. Mr Dwivedi stressed on aintaining cleanliness in the construction areas of Metro and other central governmentsponsored projects across the state. It was earlier found that Metro Railways construction sites across the city often became the breeding ground of mosquitoes. During the meeting, Mr Dwivedi asked officials to take up the issue with Metro Railway authorities for preventive steps. It was not possible for the Kolkata Municipal workers to undertake conservancy drives in Metro construction sites.
Along with Kolkata, similar measures should be taken in other cities where central projects are underway. In congested areas, bleaching powder should be sprayed regularly. Various civic bodies and fisheries departments have been releasing fish to check the breeding of mosquitoes and the initiative should be taken ahead further. He also directed senior officials of various civic bodies to repair the potholes and ensure that water is not accumulated in any area. Next, he stressed on increasing tests and undertaking a drive to clean the canals and drains. Special dengue alert has been issued to the district magistrates of Jalpaiguri, North 24-Parganas, Hooghly and Howrah.
District magistrates, chief health officers and officials of various corporations, including KMC and Bidhannagar Municipality were present at the meeting. Dengue cases usually rise during the monsoon and so a meeting was held on 8 July to alert district officials. On Thursday, Biswak Mukherjee, a student of Class VII in St Helen School off Harish Mukherjee Road in Kalighat had tested positive for dengue and died. This is the first known case of dengue death in the city this year, said a civic official. Kalighat is a dengue-prone area and has recorded hundreds of cases in the past.