Anti-dengue drive:

Over 360 people warned

Nadira Gunatilleke

The Healthcare and Nutrition Ministry has issued notices to 367 persons in the Colombo city limits on Monday after inspecting their properties for mosquito breeding sites. They have been given two weeks to destroy all mosquito breeding sites located within their properties. The inspections are still going on, a Healthcare and Nutrition Ministry spokesman said.

He said that another inspection will be done after two weeks and steps will be taken to file cases against them if they continue to keep mosquito breeding sites within their properties.

They will be punished under the Prevention of Mosquito Breeding Act. Under the Prevention of Mosquito Breeding Act Number 11 of 2007, persons who have mosquito breeding sites on their properties will have to either pay Rs. 1,000 to Rs. 25,000 fines or to be imprisoned for six months.

The Healthcare and Nutrition Ministry conducts a special campaign countrywide to destroy mosquito breeding sites with the assistance of Civil Defence Committees. Under this program first the public will be educated and they will be given an opportunity to destroy mosquito breeding sites located within their properties.

Then an inspection will be done. The program will continue in the Colombo district for a period of one month.

The program commenced in the Kandy district on Monday (8th) and it commenced in the Gampaha district yesterday.

The Ministry requests the public and all State and Private institutions to cooperate with the authorities by destroying all mosquito breeding sites located within buildings and in gardens.