Fumigation drive fails to deliver

They said there were around 11 small foggers, four big foggers and 300 pump machines being used to fumigate mosquitoes-hit areas. A number of them have been found out of order. The sources said that some of the fogging machines has become dysfunctional as most of the spray men are untrained,� they added. The sources further said the CM had constituted a task force headed by MPA Dr Asad Ashraf. It also included some MPAs and senior officers of the departments concerned to control dengue fever. The task force with all necessary administrative and financial powers was to work on war footing but the task force has hardly made any difference to the campaign. The inadequate sanitation system and lack of garbage lifting is another cause of the outbreak of dengue virus in the City.
The Lahore Railway Station, Allama Iqbal International Airport, Mughalpura Dry Port, NLC Dry Port, inter-city bus and wagon terminals and offices of courier services were the other sensitive areas, but neglected in the ongoing campaign. The places mentioned above have already been fumigated but still complaints of dengue patients are on the rise, the sources said.
With the failure of the government to fumigate hospitals despite special instructions from the Punjab health department, some doctors and nurses fell prey to dengue fever. Most of the hospitals have taken matters into their own hands and have started to fumigate their premises on their own.
According to statistics provided by department, 90 per cent areas had been fumigated so far. Spray had been carried out in 21 UCs on November 12, in 18 UCs on November 13, 16UCs on November 14, 22 UCs on November 15, 21 UCs on November 16, 22 UCs on November 17 and 22 UCs on November 18. Those UCs fumigated include UC 7, 9, 11, 12, 19, 22, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 72, 73, 74, 77, 83, 81, 94, 100, 129, 5, 6, 35, 67, 68, 69, 70, 80, 84, 85, 86, 87, 89, 93, 95, 101, 130, 1, 8, 10, 22, 24, 25, 39, 60, 81, 101, 102, 103, 111, 132, 18, 19, 21, 22, 23, 45, 54, 107, 114, 14, 108, 116, 129, 133, 143, 2. 3, 64, 63, 88, 90, 92, 113, 131, 143, 4, 15, 16, 20, 34, 36, 37, 38, 104, 109, 40, 42, 41, 44, 46, 47, 48, 55, 57, 58, 59, 100, 105, 134, 135, 136, 137, 8, 17, 112, 115, 8, 6, 7, 13, 70, 50, 51, 56, 61, 75, 31, 118, 119, 138, 139, 82, 85, 78, 106, 110, 117.