Kejriwal launches special campaign against dengue

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday launched a special campaign against dengue by inspecting his house for stagnant water to prevent the breeding of disease-carrying mosquitoes.

Delhi ministers and Aam Aadmi Party leaders including Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, Gopal Rai, Rajendra Pal Gautam and Atishi also inspected their houses for standing clean water.

"My family and I inspected our home today to make sure there is no standing clean water in any part of the house. This is the best way to protect your family from dengue. I am happy to see people across Delhi participate in this campaign. #10Hafte10Baje10Minute," Kejriwal tweeted.

In a video message, the chief minister appealed to Delhi residents to give 10 minutes every Sunday -- from September 1 till November 15 -- to ensure that there is no stagnant water in their houses or surroundings.

"On Saturday, I got a survey conducted on Instagram. I had asked the respondents if they knew the dengue virus-carrying mosquitoes breed in clean water. You will be surprised to know that 35 per cent of them said it breeds in filthy water," he said.

"I want to tell everyone that the (Aedes aegypti) mosquito breeds in clean water which is generally found in our houses. Also, this mosquito cannot fly beyond 200 metres... This means, either it bred in your house or in the neighbourhood," Kejriwal said.

He said the city reported 60 deaths and more than 15,000 cases of dengue in 2015. In 2018, the number came down to 2,798 and only 4 deaths were reported.

"We need to reduce it further. We should try and ensure there's no death due to dengue this year," he said appealing to people to popularise the campaign by posting pictures and videos on social media.

Sisodia shared pictures of him draining out stagnant water on the micro-blogging site saying, "To save my family from dengue, it's important that my house does not become a breeding ground for disease-carrying mosquitoes."

The Delhi government on Friday asked all agencies and departments concerned to convert the fight against dengue into a mass movement.

A total of 75 dengue cases have been reported in the national capital this year, with 35 of them recorded in August, according to the latest municipal report released earlier this week.

At least 131 cases of malaria have also been reported till August 24, the report said.