Coimbatore removes 8.8 lakh mosquito breeding containers in dengue drive
The Coimbatore Corporation has collected and removed 8,81,931 containers capable of holding stagnant freshwater, as part of its efforts to curb the breeding of Aedes mosquitoes that spread dengue. The figures were compiled as of Thursday.
The exercise is being carried out by 12 teams formed across the Corporation's five zones, with particular attention to discarded tyres and old motor vehicle spare parts, which commonly collect rainwater and go unnoticed for long periods.
Corporation Commissioner Katta Ravi Teja has instructed 60 special personnel to carry out mosquito-control activities across the five zones. The teams have been spraying insecticides between 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. and between 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. to eliminate adult mosquitoes.
The drive has been organised as an inter-zone competition that began last Friday. Officials have been collecting and removing containers that could hold water and serve as breeding sites. The zone that performs best will receive a box of crackers worth ₹10,000 as the first prize.
Aedes mosquitoes, which transmit dengue, typically breed in clean, stagnant water collected in small containers around homes and public spaces. Because their eggs can survive long periods in dry conditions and hatch once they come into contact with water, removing such containers is considered one of the most effective ways to reduce mosquito populations.
The Corporation has urged residents to inspect their premises, particularly the areas behind houses, and to prevent water from stagnating in buckets, earthen pots, grinding stones, flower pots, blue drums, coconut shells, discarded tyres, lamps, food containers and other articles.
Separately, 297 special medical camps have been conducted across the city since October 23 as part of the northeast monsoon health campaign. A total of 16,394 people have benefited from the camps, where oral rehydration solution (ORS) and kabasura kudineer were distributed to 11,021 people.
Fever was detected in 54 people during these camps, and they were referred to government healthcare facilities for blood tests. Medical teams comprising doctors, nurses and other healthcare personnel from the Corporation's 33 urban primary health centres are also visiting rain-affected areas to screen residents and provide treatment for monsoon-related illnesses.
Dengue is a viral infection spread by the bite of an infected Aedes mosquito, and cases generally rise during and after the northeast monsoon, when rainwater collects in open containers. Common symptoms include high fever, severe headache, pain behind the eyes, muscle and joint pain, and skin rashes. Health officials advise people with persistent fever to seek medical attention rather than self-medicate.
Public health specialists have noted that source reduction — emptying, covering or removing containers that hold water — depends heavily on household participation. Civic drives can clear public spaces, but private premises and rooftops remain significant breeding grounds unless residents check them regularly. The Corporation's statement did not specify the number of dengue cases reported in the city so far.
