Mangaluru: Deputy Commissioner (DC) S Sasikanth Senthil launched the dengue drive day by looking for mosquito larvae in and around his residence in the presence of district officials and activists on Sunday.

The district administration has launched a hyper drive to control spread of dengue in the city by encouraging people to check for larvae at homes and destroy the same. Aedes aegypti mosquito is the main vector that transmit the viruses that cause dengue. This breeds only in fresh water and often inside the house. It is a day biting mosquito that generally resides in dark places.

Mangaluru City Corporation (MCC) Deputy Commissioner (Revenue) Gayathri Nayak, said after the symbolic inauguration dengue drive day at the DC’s residence, we went around looking for mosquito breeding spots around Zilla Panchayat office. As monsoon begins water gets filled with waste drums, unused tyres, flower pots, containers, terraces that act as breeding ground for Aedes Aegypti. Thus, it is important to clean water storage places, fill unused tyres with mud and dispose unused containers. “We hope to continue this drive in the coming Sundays and should be initiated every year with the onset of monsoon,” she said.

A team led by Zilla Panchayat Chief Executive Officer R. Selvamani visited the Zilla Panchayat premise. An empty paint box filled with rain water, spotted in a corner was destroyed. Children also participated in the drive. Activist Suresh Shetty spread awareness by showing live larvae.

Selvamani along with other officials including Gayathri Nayak and, District Health and Family Welfare Officer M Ramakrishna Rao found larvae breeding in the water collected in a discarded empty plastic food packet and flower vase in the premises of one quarters. In another, they found mosquito larvae in the tray of fridge. In few quarters, they found larvae breeding in the water collected in few plastic containers used to grow plants that were placed on the compound wall and shells of discarded tender coconut.

Annoyed over the lack of seriousness on the part of government officials in clearing larvae, Selvamani directed the PWD official to issue notices to occupants of staff quarters. “If we find larvae during the inspection next week, those occupants will be asked to vacate premises. Spot fine will also be collected,” he said. Selvamani said that they have planned to hold larvae clearance drive every Friday in the government offices and its surrounding areas.

Signature drives and flash mobs were held in malls. Sasikanth Senthil said that it is time to say ‘bye bye larvae’. A meeting with heads educational institutions will be held on Monday. They will be advised on measures to control mosquito breeding.