Strict action ordered to check dengue after larva recovery

LAHORE
Following recovery of dengue larvae from the workshop of one of its Turkish contractor companies, the Lahore Waste Management Company (LWMC) has directed all its contractors and sub-offices to adopt strict preventive measures against dengue epidemic.
Sources at the LWMC revealed that LWMC Managing Director Khalid Majeed on Friday took up the issue of presence of dengue larvae at the workshop of Albaryak Pakistan very seriously and issued a detailed office order in this regard. He, in his office order, directed all the LWMC offices, workshops, contractor offices and workshops to adopt preventive measures against dengue epidemic. “The competent authority of the LWMC has strictly directed that following preventive measures should be taken on priority basis during and after the rainy season 2015. It said all the offices/workshops’ roofs must be checked and monitor on daily basis that there should not be any stagnant water. It further said that all kind of old/auctioning material, which was lying in the open yards in workshops, must be watched strictly to avoid accumulation of rainwater in any equipment and become a cause for breeding of dengue larvae. Open drains of offices/workshops must be covered, while open drums, containers, compactors and other running machinery, which is in standby positions, must be watched and cleaned on daily basis.
The letter further added that all the new tyers and tubes must be stored under the covered area and old tyers and tubes must be shredded on priority basis. The letter concluded that air water coolers and plant pots must also be covered and monitored.
High official sources at the LWMC revealed that just a day before the recovery of dengue larvae from the workshop of Albayrak Pakistan, the LWMC’s management has verbally warned the Turkish contractors to take precautionary measures about the dengue on their premises and sites. Sources said recovery of dengue larvae from the workshop of Albayrak Pakistan the very next day clearly showed that they didn’t pay any heed to the verbal warnings of the LWMC’s senior management.
However, the Communications Department of Albayrak Pakistan through a press statement claimed that the company understood the intensity of dengue fever and had investigated the presence of dengue larvae in its workshop.
It said the company was already taking extraordinary measures in its offices and on workshops premises to prevent dengue spread. It further claimed that following the reports that a dengue larvae were found in Albayrak workshop, Albayrak held an inquiry. Larvae were found in the water of a container which was just brought to the workshop from the union council. The waste containers are placed on the roadsides and often are filled with rainwater, especially during monsoon season. The containers are brought to workshop for repair, washing, painting and disinfection. These containers were inspected by the dengue surveillance team and one dengue larva was found in the container which was just brought to workshop.
The company’s release concluded that Albayrak had speed up its efforts to combat dengue, though the company said that owing to an open manhole in the location and due to presence of the Children Hospital in neighborhood, the company already ensured that anti-dengue spray was carried out on daily basis. However, sanitation experts and senior officials of the LWMC rejected the claims of Albayrak Pakistan that dengue larvae were found in the water of a container, which was just brought to the workshop from the union council.