PANAJI
The cluster of dengue cases in Porvorim’s Housing Board area has prompted the Directorate of Health Services (DHS) to intensify its campaign against the vector-borne disease.
The DHS has issued strict notices, warning contractors and residents to eliminate stagnant water.
“Our teams, along with local panchayats, are working to destroy breeding grounds, but community participation is vital,” said Dr Kalpana Mahatme, Deputy Director (Health) who heads the National Vector-Borne Disease Control Programme.
Eight infections were detected in the Porvorim Housing Board area, and seven of the victims were personnel of the fire service attached to the Porvorim Fire Station.
Health officials have also traced the outbreak to a mosquito-breeding construction site related to the Porvorim Town Square project. Other spots identified for the attention of the local panchayat are its library site and the food carts lined up opposite the Goa Cricket Academy.
The contractor of the Town Square project has already faced penalties for repeated sanitation lapses, officials said.
Steady decline in cases
The outbreak in Porvorim comes even as Goa recorded a steady decline in dengue cases over the past three years.
From January to April this year, the State had reported 11 cases, compared to 29 in 2025 and 96 in 2024. April 2026 saw just one case, down from six last year and 19 the year before.
DHS officials noted that most infections arise in migrant settlements where open water storage fuels mosquito breeding. "Migrant workers arriving from dengue-prone States have also contributed to sporadic cases in urban pockets," the official said.
Preventive steps remain crucial, and officials linked to all Primary and Urban Health Centres are coordinating the awareness campaigns which urge residents to keep surroundings clean, empty water from flower pots and containers twice a week, and cover stored water tightly.
“If water is stored, it must be used within seven days,” an official stressed.
With the monsoon intensifying, the DHS warns that complacency could undo hard-won gains even as the department has assured of doubling down on hotspot action, legal enforcement, and public awareness to tackle the disease.
