19,021 dengue inspections carried out in Punjab

LAHORE

During the first four months of the current year, Environment Protection Department (EPD), Punjab, inspected 19,021 places in five major districts across the province excluding the provincial metropolis.

Officials said the department made total 19,021 inspections in five districts i.e. Rawalpindi, Sheikhupura, Gujranwala, Faisalabad and Multan. The dengue surveillance teams of EPD issued 120 notices besides sealing 28 premises while it removed 1,929 sources of dengue larvae. They said 10,690 inspections were made at tyre shops, 6,879 at junk yards and 1,237 at nurseries.

Besides these inspections, special anti-dengue squads of EPD inspected total 14,853 sites in the provincial capital to eliminate dengue larvae and its breeding sites and sources. Punjab government has assigned Environment Protection Department Dengue Directorate to identify and eliminate the dengue breeding sites in tyre shops, junkyards, nurseries and under-construction sites of Punjab districts during dengue season.

Data showed that out of the total 1,9021 inspections, 2,581 were carried out in Faisalabad, 646 in Gujranwala, 7,033 in Multan, 8,126 in Rawalpindi and 635 in Sheikhupura. Similarly in Lahore, 1,200 inspections were carried out in Wahga Town, 1,301 in Gulberg Town, 1,327 in Samanabad Town, 1,956 in Shalimar Town, 1,616 at Aziz Bhatti Town, 1,567 in Nishtar Town, 2,806 in Allama Iqbal Town, 1,660 in Data Town and 1,420 in Ravi Town.

EPD officials said that during the inspections in Lahore the teams removed 475 sources of dengue larvae, notices were issued to 74 premises while dengue larvae were found at 17 sites.

Dengue Directorate Director Naseemur Rehman while talking with The News said that day to day inspections were being carried out across the province.

He said the department was monitoring the performance of entire dengue squad through Punjab Government’s Dengue Online Android System.

Naseem asked the public to adopt clean environment to defeat dengue. He said all the government departments were working in coordination and this fight would continue till complete elimination of dengue.