Malaria control: MCC to fine building owners

The Malaria Action Committee meeting resolved to direct the MCC officials and the district malaria control officer to fine Rs 15,000 to the owner of under construction buildings if mosquito breeding source were detected.

The meeting on Saturday was chaired by Mayor Bhaskar Moily.

Multi-purpose workers have been creating awareness among the builders and households to destroy mosquito breeding source in their locality. Health assistants had even served notices to such builders, but owners have failed to check the stagnated water in the under-construction buildings. Hence, it was decided to slap a fine of Rs 15,000 to the owners of such buildings. If the mosquito breeding sources are detected for the second time, then the building licence will be cancelled.

There are 11,728 wells in the MCC jurisdiction. guppy fish have been released into 7,800 wells. Measures will be taken to release the fish to remaining 3,928 wells. The MCC has 30,000 guppy fish, which can be collected from the PHCs in the MCC jurisdiction.

Mosquito nets will be distributed to all the BPL cardholders in the MCC jurisdiction. Under the National Vector-borne Diseases Control Programme, 64500 nets have been received. Measures will be taken to distribute the nets through the corporators in all the wards.

Naveen D’Souza, MCC Standing Committee on Health president, said that the MCC has already served notices to seven under-construction building owners on noticing mosquito breeding sources in the building.

However, the building owners have failed to destroy such mosquito breeding source, he said.