Dehradun: In light of growing concerns over a potential surge in dengue and malaria cases this year, District Magistrate (DM) Savin Bansal held a high-level meeting at Rishiparna Auditorium on Saturday with health officials and municipal authorities. Labeling 2025 as potentially the worst year for mosquito-borne diseases, the DM issued strict instructions to intensify preventive measures across the district.
Key Measures Ordered:
Drainage and Sanitation: The DM directed the Municipal Corporation to clean all major drains, sewers, and riverbanks—including the Rispana and Bindal rivers—by May 15. Sanitary inspectors have been instructed to enforce fines for waterlogging or unhygienic conditions found in public places or commercial establishments.
Larvicide and Fogging Operations: The number of larvicide tankers will be increased from 6 to 20, with at least one dedicated tanker per 10 wards. Fogging and chemical spraying are to begin immediately, with special focus on dengue-prone hotspots.
School Advisory Issued: The Chief Education Officer has been instructed to ensure students attend school in full-sleeve uniforms to reduce the risk of mosquito bites. Awareness campaigns and advisories are to be circulated across all schools.
Hospital Readiness: A Hospital Surge Plan is being developed. All PHCs and CHCs will be put on alert for rapid deployment. Public hospitals have been instructed to stock medicines, beds, dengue ELISA test kits, and increase the number of blood separators from 2 to 5 in Doon Hospital.
Incentives and Surveillance: ASHA workers and surveillance teams will receive an incentive of ₹1500 for their field efforts. A micro plan is being prepared for door-to-door surveys, larva source reduction, and public awareness drives. All activities will be monitored via a Google Spreadsheet for transparency.
Funding and Coordination: An advance of ₹5 lakh has been allocated each to the Municipal Corporation and the Health Department. The DM emphasized ensuring that vulnerable communities do not resort to costly private treatments due to lack of resources in public healthcare.
Field Focus & Awareness Drives
The DM highlighted the importance of awareness campaigns, instructing that seminars be conducted in all wards with participation from ASHA workers, volunteers, rapid response teams, and ward members. Control rooms will remain active around the clock, and lab rates for dengue testing will be standardized.
He stressed that no department should wait for case numbers to rise before acting, and immediate larvicidal spraying and surveillance should commence.
Current Situation
According to the Chief Medical Officer, 21 dengue cases have been reported so far in 2025, compared to 37 in 2023–24 and 1434 in 2022. Authorities say a micro plan is already in place for managing dengue cases in hospitals.
The meeting was attended by senior officials including Chief Development Officer Abhinav Shah, SDM Harigiri, Deputy Municipal Commissioner Gopal Ram Binwal, Chief Medical Officer Dr. Mukesh Kumar, and other key stakeholders.
