Daijiworld Media Network - Kolkata
Kolkata, Sep 2: West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Tuesday urged people not to panic over the dengue situation amid continued heavy rainfall, while acknowledging that the situation is serious but not highly alarming.
The Chief Minister chaired a high-level meeting involving ministers and senior bureaucrats from various state government departments and administrators of 21 urban civic bodies to formulate a coordinated strategy to combat dengue in the state.
Speaking to the media after the meeting, Adhikari said that although the number of dengue cases during the ongoing monsoon was high, it was significantly lower than the corresponding figure during the previous year.
According to the Chief Minister, West Bengal had recorded around 7,600 dengue cases till the end of August 2025, while the figure during the same period this year is around 4,000.
“However, we are not taking any chances. The situation will be monitored till November this year. Even mild fevers should not be ignored, and the facility of free tests should be availed. Even the family members of those who are currently dengue positive will be monitored,” Adhikari said.
He said liquid larvicide had been made available to kill dengue mosquito larvae as part of efforts to contain the spread.
The Chief Minister also appealed to hospital authorities and doctors not to suppress or underreport dengue-positive cases.
“Do not hide anything. There is nothing there to hide. If there is dengue, it will definitely be dealt with. There is no reason to be afraid when doctors write dengue. If it is dengue, they will write dengue. If not, they will not write,” Adhikari said.
The West Bengal Health Department has identified five districts as the most dengue-prone in the state — Kolkata, Howrah, North 24 Parganas, South 24 Parganas and Murshidabad.
The continued unpredictability of the weather and persistent rainfall have heightened concerns in the state health department, with dengue cases and dengue-related deaths increasing in certain districts.