Mandya: The second phase of the pulse polio drive, under National Immunisation Day (NID), started on Sunday with health authorities administering polio drops to 1.61 lakh children under five years in the district.

Mandya Deputy Commissioner B.N. Krishnaiah inaugurated the drive by administering polio drops to children on Bangalore-Mysore near Kallahalli. Mandya City Municipal Council president B. Siddaraju, vice-president Chandrakala Shivaram, Mandya district Kannada Sahitya Parishat president Meera Shivalinagaiah, and District Health Officer (DHO) T.N. Marigowda were present.

“We planned to administer polio drops to 1,78,624 children; however, the final tally was 1,61,817 children,” the DHO told The Hindu here on Sunday evening. With this, the district has achieved 90.59 per cent coverage, he added.

The district administration had set up 723 booths and deployed 2,892 booth members and 144 supervisors for the purpose.

They will conduct door-to-door visits, in city limits, to administer drops to the remaining children between Monday and Wednesday, he said.  Similar visits will be conducted in rural areas on Monday and Tuesday, he added.

K.C. Narayanagowda, MLA, inaugurated the drive in K.R. Pet by administering polio drops to children.

Volunteers were able to achieve 87.09 per cent coverage in Malavalli taluk; 93.03 in Maddur; 92.01 in Mandya; 85.85 in Pandavapura; 86.66 in Srirangapatna; 92.38 in K.R. Pet; and 93 per cent in Nagamangala taluk.