Fierce Chennai on a Mission to combat ‘Dengue’: Over 175 tonnes of scrap from old vehicles were removed

Chennai, October 13: Tamil Nadu being groped by Dengue deaths, recorded the highest number of cases after Kerala and Karnataka. To tackle the mosquito menace, the Greater Chennai Corporation started a mass cleaning drive, albeit a little too late. The drive is to check mosquito breeding sources, including abandoned vehicles on the roads. 

Government hospitals have reported dengue deaths in Chennai, Coimbatore, Tiruchy, Dindigul and Karur. Corporation Commissioner D Karthikeyan took charge of it, asking traders in areas such as Pudupet to remove mosquito breeding sources like damaged and deserted vehicles.

Over 175 tonnes of scrap from old vehicles were removed from Pudupet on Thursday by corporation workers. The civic body has formed 200 teams, made up of 2,825 malaria labourers and 14,902 conservancy workers to carry out the mass cleaning drive.

As many as 331 fogging machines and 32 vehicle-mounted machines were used. The civic body has also organised 76 medical camps, where it identified fever cases. “We imposed a fine of Rs. 51,000 on violators,” said an official.