1.14 lakh mosquito breeding sites found in rural areas

JAIPUR: One lakh fourteen thousand mosquito breeding sites found in houses in rural areas setting alarm bells ringing. The season of vector-borne disease has reached the doorstep. More monsoon rains lashing the state making it more vulnerable to dengue and malaria.

In two months (May-June), health department detected these breeding grounds and destroyed many of them in the state.The larvae of mosquitoes were found in water tanks, air coolers, water pots for birds, vases and other containers.
With so many breeding areas, it is not shocking that Rajasthan is placed second, after Kerala, in the list of states with highest number of dengue cases. The situation in the state is not at all rosy. It may worsen further if immediate action for preventing vector borne diseases are not taken by the government.
Monsoon rains have started in the state which will make environment conducive for mosquito breeding. As of now, in Rajasthan, 1,808 cases of dengue have already been reported this year so far and three persons have died of the disease.
However, health department is taking it as a major success for detecting over lakh of breeding grounds. If these sites of breeding would not have been destroyed, the cases of vector borne disease might be much more.
Additional chief secretary (health) Veenu Gupta said in two months, health department’s teams checked water tanks, air coolers, water pots for birds, vases and other containers. They destroyed breeding sites to prevent spread of vector-borne diseases.
Health department’s director (health) Dr VK Mathur said that they have spread awareness against seasonal diseases to prevent their spread in the state.
The health department conducted survey of 35 lakh houses in rural parts of the state.
With more rains in the state, more mosquito breeding grounds will be created. However, health department officials claimed that they are alert on mosquito-borne diseases. A health department official said that they have already issued directions to its officials to identify areas with larvae. Health department has also sought list of stepwells which have been renovated recently from Rural Development and Panchayati Raj department as these stepwells could help mosquito breeding.
Also, health department has declared dengue and malaria as a notified disease for monitoring of cases detected in clinics and diagnostic centres and preventing spread of these diseases.