MARGAO
Around 30 suspected dengue cases have been detected in Morpilla village in recent days, according to Balli Primary Health Officer Dr Mamata Kakodkar who told The Goan that the situation is well under control.
“Our health teams have all descended in the village to conduct a survey of the people and to empty and change the water stored in the containers”, she said, adding that the health department is closely monitoring the situation.
Remote Morpilla has been witnessing an unprecedented war against mosquitoes never heard of in the history of the Scheduled Tribe-dominated village.
With water resource a scare commodity in the hilly village, villagers storing water in barrels and other containers is not uncommon to find across the village. The dengue mosquito seemed to have taken shelter in the water barrels as evident by the larvae spotted in many a container.
In fact, this is perhaps the first time that the beleaguered residents have been left with no option than to empty water from the containers or cover the barrels with plastic and cloth.
For, the Balli Primary Health teams has come across mosquito breeding in the very water containers, which has been a source of water storage over the years. After inspection, the health teams made the households to empty water from the barrels right in their presence. They have been further instructed to clean up the barrels and water containers and ensure they cover the containers with a lid or with cloth or plastic material.
That’s not all. Since the dengue mosquito breeds in clean water, the residents have been further instructed to change the water in the containers every week to rule out breeding.
Village Sarpanch Tulsidas Velip told the media that this is perhaps the first time in recent history that dengue has raised its ugly head in the village. “The villagers have fully cooperated with the health teams deputed by the health departments. The villagers have complied with the instructions given by the health teams”, he said.
