Health Officials in Goa Blame Flower Pots for Dengue Hazard

Goa is witnessing a serious rise in dengue. The health authorities in Margao and Fatorda have revealed that the urban culture of placing saucers under flower pots could be a major contributor for the outbreak of dengue, according to them.

To avoid this, the health authorities are putting in an effort to educate the residents of apartments in the twin cities about the health hazard posed by balcony gardens, The Times of India reported.

Anju Kharangate, health officer of the Margao urban health centre, said, “In years, this is for the first time that Margao, a city in Goa, is witnessing a large number of dengue cases. This is a problem of urban environment. During our visits we found mosquito breeding sites in plush apartments.” She told this while pointing out to the saucers placed beneath flower pots to collect the water. She suspects these saucers to be a potential breeding site.

She added, “Dengue-causing mosquitoes mostly breed in stagnant water and as flower pots and plant saucers are part of an urban apartment culture, it is imperative that the water be removed frequently. We have now focused our attention on educating the people about the measures they need to take to prevent dengue.”

In order to avoid the spread of dengue-causing mosquitoes, the health authorities in Goa have already reached out to the heads of churches, mosques and temples. They have urged the religious authorities to educate the congregations about the preventive action to be taken against dengue. The health officials are also seeking intervention of the district administration to ensure coordination between various government departments and the health authorities.

Anju also met additional district collector Prasanna Acharya to familiarize him of the various problems faced by the centre. She said, “I brought to his notice the need for more personnel at our disposal to carry out various measures to deal with the dengue epidemic. We also require more vehicles for movement of our staff and transporting fogging and spraying equipments. He has promised to convene a meeting of Margao municipality, PWD, water department and sewerage department so that there is proper coordination.”