Mayor P. Jegan Periyasamy on Wednesday said no dengue case had been reported within the Corporation limits so far during the past few months.
Raising the issue at the council meeting held here, councillors, cutting across party lines, said the urban civic body should ensure periodic garbage removal by deploying adequate number of sanitary workers and intensify anti-dengue operations as outbreak of the vector-borne disease had unleashed panic among the public in the past, especially during the northeast monsoon.
Mr. Jegan replied that fever tests were being conducted on patients visiting the seven urban primary health centres and the 10 urban wellness centres of the Corporation. Sixty fever tests were being conducted in these places on an average every day.
“Since the Corporation has already started anti-dengue operations within the town, no dengue case has been reported so far within Thoothukudi Corporation limits. We will strive hard to continue this trend during the monsoon also,” Mr. Jegan said.
When the councilors pointed to the problem faced by bike-riders due to accumulation of sand on roads, the Mayor said residents had heaped sand in front of their houses or raised the ground level with debris in a bid to prevent water stagnation during rain..
“Besides causing accidents, the sand accumulated on the road is badly hampering the road laying works also. Hence, the public should not pile up soil or debris in front of their houses. Since the road laying work will be completed by October 31, there is no need of fear for water stagnation,” Mr. Jegan said.
The corporation would intensify the drive against use-and-throw plastic products, which were being sold and used freely for packing by the traders within the town, he added.
When the councillors wanted the Corporation to give priority in allotting shops in the rebuilt old bus stand to traders who had shops in the bus terminus before it was demolished, he said preference would be given to them if they had all taxes payable to the Corporation and the rent.
