Share your story and shine at JK Monitor!🌟 Welcome to JK Monitor, where every story matters and every achievement is celebrated! We invite you to share the remarkable journey of your life and showcase your accomplishments to the world. Join our exclusive interviews that honor exceptional individuals just like you. JAMMU: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Co-Convenor, Health Cell, J&K BJP, Dr. Varinder Sharma today expressed serious concern over the alarming rise in dengue and chikungunya cases in Jammu. He said that it was only up to last month that about 350 cases have been reported from the Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC) area alone, and the numbers are expected to rise further with the ongoing season and lack of cleanliness in different wards of Jammu municipal area.
Dr. Sharma urged the Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC), Health Department, Anti-Malaria Wing and allied agencies to immediately intensify ground-level action. He stressed that health officers and sanitation inspectors must visit every ward, clear blocked drains, eliminate waterlogging, and conduct regular fogging and spraying drives to prevent mosquito breeding. “Stagnant water is the root cause of dengue spread and must be cleared every third or fourth day,” he cautioned.
Highlighting the need for door-to-door awareness campaigns, Dr. Sharma said that public participation is crucial in combating vector-borne diseases. Citizens should also be made aware not only of preventive measures but also of their responsibility in keeping surroundings clean. He added that the festival season is going on and the government must not take this lightly. Efforts should go beyond official meetings and translate into visible results on the ground so that the spread of the epidemic is nipped in the bud.
Dr. Varinder Sharma appreciated the initiative of JMC Commissioner Dr. Devansh Yadav, who recently chaired a meeting to review preparations. However, he stressed that accountability must be fixed and health officers should ensure tangible outcomes in the field. He said that beyond government efforts cooperation of citizens is also needed and people must ensure no water is left stagnant in refrigerator trays, bird bowls, flower pots, coolers, or other containers besides choked drains are cleaned regularly. These small steps will help break the mosquito life cycle, he said, adding that some posh colonies like Channi Himmat, Gandhi Nagar and even old city areas are having choked drains which must be cleaned on war footings.
Calling for extensive fogging and spraying campaigns across all wards, Dr. Sharma directed that the drive should cover not only public spaces but also sensitive residential areas, schools, hospitals, markets, and localities where dengue cases have been reported. He also recommended the issuance of a detailed roster with a fixed schedule for fogging and spraying so that people are made aware of foggin in their respective areas.
“The need of the hour is to intensify cleanliness and awareness campaigns in every neighbourhood. Densely populated areas should get special attention, and citizens must adopt personal safety measures such as using mosquito repellents and nets, wearing full-sleeved clothing, and maintaining clean and dry surroundings,” Dr. Sharma appealed. He said that even if community participation is needed the government must go ahead with it, saying that government departments, civic bodies, and residents must work together to stop the spread of dengue, chikungunya, and malaria.
