Lucknow, Jul 4 (IANS): The battle against Japanese Encephalitis (JE) in Uttar Pradesh will now be more colourful and interesting. The state Cultural Department will organise puppet shows and street plays to raise awareness among people on prevention of the killer virus that primarily affects children.

For the first time, the Cultural Department will join the Health Department in combating the virus in eastern Uttar Pradesh.

"We are working in close collaboration with the Unicef that has identified the causes and conditions responsible for the spread of the disease. We are incorporating this information in the local dialect and will convey it to the people through puppet shows and street plays. The language has been kept simple so that children can enjoy the puppet shows and also learn from it," said a Cultural Department official.

The Cultural Department will form teams that will tour 18 districts in eastern UP that are prone to JE. The initiative is a part of the 'Dastak' campaign launched in 11 district to control the spread of JE.

Cases of JE usually make an appearance in the months between July and September and the Yogi Adityanath government is making all possible efforts to check deaths due to the killer virus.