Chennai, Sept 21:
The Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) has intensified fever surveillance and dengue prevention measures across educational institutions and hostels in the city amid a rise in fever cases during the pre-monsoon season.
On Sunday, intensive mosquito-control drives were carried out at 16 educational institutions and hostels, with 289 workers and 53 fogging machines deployed. Around 581 kg of unwanted materials that could serve as mosquito-breeding sources were removed. Corporation Commissioner G S Sameeran inspected the operations at Victoria Hostel in Chepauk and directed officials to clear debris, remove stagnant water and ensure proper campus hygiene. Anna University, IIT Madras, Victoria Hostel, Presidency College and Madras University were among the institutions covered by the drive.
Sameeran said Chennai recorded 4,400 fever cases in August and around 4,600 cases so far in September, while dengue-positive cases stood at around 654. He said around 95 per cent of dengue cases were self-limiting and patients recovered with rest and adequate hydration, while the remaining cases required hospitalisation. The number of Domestic Breeding Checkers has also been increased from 2,500 to 3,290, with each worker inspecting around 80 to 100 houses daily to identify and treat mosquito-breeding spots.
The GCC has also intensified enforcement, with fines totalling Rs 5.56 lakh imposed over the past 20 days, mainly on commercial establishments and repeat residential violators where mosquito larvae were found. Around 100 health camps are being conducted every day, benefiting more than 4,000 people over the past 20 days. A special medical camp at Anna University on Sunday benefited 378 people, while plans are under way to distribute Nilavembu Kashayam on the campus.
The civic body has also ordered the removal and sanitisation of overgrown vegetation on institutional campuses following the death of an Anna University student from scrub typhus. Officials have stressed that clearing stagnant water, maintaining campus hygiene and ensuring public cooperation are essential to controlling mosquito-borne and other vector-borne diseases.