Public co-operation vital to eradicate dengue - Minister Sirisena

by Ananda KANNANGARA

Over 200 lakes, streams and waterways in the Greater Colombo and its suburban areas, which have been polluted following the dumping of waste and sewage by factories will be completely cleaned to destroy dengue breeding grounds.

The program will be carried out by the respective Local Government bodies under the supervision of area MOH officers and other health officials. It will also be assisted by the Police and social service organisations.

It is said that most factory owners are in the habit of releasing their waste and sewage to nearby waterways ignoring the Health Ministry's repeated warnings.

According to Health Department reports, 7948 dengue cases have been reported during the first six months of this year and 69 persons lost their lives due to this epidemic.

Health Minister Mithreepala Sirisena told the Sunday Observer that it is the national duty of all public and private sector officials, service personnel, non- Governmental organisations, the public and schoolchildren to extend their co-operation to the ongoing dengue eradication program.

He said that the public co-operation is vital at this juncture as the people had never experienced such an epidemic earlier.

Meanwhile, the Medical Research Institute (MRI) has warned the industrialists that they should release the waste in a hygienic and systematic manner.

According to a recent MRI study, many mosquito breeding sites are located in places of industrial waste.

Discarded computers, unused mobile phones, photocopy machines, and air condition plants are the main industrial waste found by the MRI during the study. It is also reported that many Local Government Institutions had taken legal action against persons who had failed to carry out proper drain cleaning and garbage removal activities in their gardens.