Mangalore : If years ago Malaria was the main cause of concern during monsoons, a recent addition has been that of Dengue, and the latest of Rat Fever.

With Rat fever  claiming six lives in the district in the past few days, it indeed is a cause of concern. The most common cause of all these diseases is lack of cleanliness. Every time casualties are reported,  the government or the administration is blamed.

But one should not forget that lack of civic sense, reckless disposal of garbage and unclean surroundings contribute a great deal towards the spread of such contagious diseases which pose great risk to lives if untreated or improperly treated.

If Mangalore accounts for highest  number of malaria cases, the main reason attributed for the same is the water stagnation particularly at construction sites. Though builders and contractors have been repeatedly warned and even fined, the situation has not seen much improvement, say many. It is undeniable that the builders fail to provide basic amenities like toilets to the construction workers who halt at the construction site. This leads to unclean surroundings, water stagnation which proves a boon to breeding of mosquitoes.

Though the administration is doing its  bit to mitigate the problem, a larger responsibility lies with the citizens. Every citizen should be duty bound to keep his surroundings clean and also encourage others to follow suit. All open water sources like tanks should be closed and no water stagnation should be allowed.

A small step taken by each responsible citizen will go a long way in checking  the menace of Malaria and dengue.