Faisal Fareed
Daijiworld Media Network - Lucknow

Lucknow, Sep 24: With cases of mosquito borne diseases on rise, state health department has placed demand before the union ministry of health and family welfare for providing free mosquito nets to the denizens.

The mosquito nets will be distributed in the two districts-Mirzapur and Sonbhadra where mosquito menace is high as compared to other parts of the state. The mosquito nets will also be chemically treated and any mosquito coming in touch with the net will die.

Director, Communicable Diseases, Dr AK Dhawan admitted that such demand has been placed before the union ministry. "We have demanded 60 lakhs chemically treated mosquito nets from the centre. They are meant for the Mirzapur and Sonbhadra district of the state," said Dr Dhawan.

He also stated that receiving the demand the central officials got in touch and requested for a detailed proposal. "We had parleys with them and submitted our proposal. We are hopeful of receiving the mosquito nets," he said.

The scheme is presently meant for states as Tamil Nadu, Karanataka, Madhya Pradesh and others where number of mosquito borne diseases as malaria and dengue are alarming. These states have already been provided such mosquito nets. "We hope that once these states are saturated, UP will also get these chemically treated mosquito nets. We are not in the same category as the other states. Cases of malaria and dengue are not so alarming here and things are under control. In other states, the climate also favours mosquito growth," he said.

Dr Dhawan opined that 60 lakhs mosquito nets will be distributed among the most mosquito infested areas of the Mirzapur and Sonbhadra. They will be provided free to the tribal regions where the inhabitants do not have access to any mosquito repellant. "It will be a boon for them as these mosquito nets not only prevent but also kill the mosquito when it comes in close contact," he said.