The Coimbatore Corporation’s pilot Dengue Prevention League (DPL), an inter-zone competition aimed at eliminating mosquito breeding sources through source reduction, has resulted in the collection of nearly four lakh discarded plastic containers and other water-holding waste in the first three days of the initiative.
The week-long programme, being conducted across the Corporation’s five zones, is part of its intensified dengue prevention measures ahead of the peak monsoon season.
The West zone collected and removed 40,072 containers, while the North zone removed 33,759, taking the total to 73,831 containers, with the West zone emerging victorious.
The Central zone collected 1,48,000 containers, while the East zone removed 1,53,452, taking the day’s total to 3,01,452 containers.
Clearing discarded containers before they accumulate rainwater during the peak breeding season would help prevent mosquito breeding and reduce the risk of dengue transmission, they said.
The Coimbatore Corporation’s pilot Dengue Prevention League (DPL), an inter-zone competition aimed at eliminating mosquito breeding sources through source reduction, has resulted in the collection of nearly four lakh discarded plastic containers and other water-holding waste in the first three days of the initiative.
The week-long programme, being conducted across the Corporation’s five zones, is part of its intensified dengue prevention measures ahead of the peak monsoon season. Officials said the encouraging response has prompted the civic body to consider launching the initiative on a larger scale from August.
Under the programme, Domestic Breeding Checkers (DBCs) identify discarded plastic cans, bottles, cups, coconut shells, tyres and other waste capable of holding stagnant water during their routine inspections. Based on the locations identified by the DBCs, conservancy workers visit the sites after completing their daily door-to-door waste collection and remove the waste. The collected materials are then brought to a common collection point in each zone, where they are counted every day.
On the opening day of the competition on Friday, the West and North zones competed against each other. The West zone collected and removed 40,072 containers, while the North zone removed 33,759, taking the total to 73,831 containers, with the West zone emerging victorious.
On Monday, the Central and East zones participated in the drive. The Central zone collected 1,48,000 containers, while the East zone removed 1,53,452, taking the day’s total to 3,01,452 containers. The East zone won the round.
The South and North zones were participating in the competition on Tuesday.
The five Corporation zones compete based on the number of potential mosquito breeding sources removed. By Tuesday, nearly four lakh such discarded items had been collected, according to Corporation officials.
Officials said the initiative was conceived to strengthen source reduction, one of the most effective methods of dengue prevention. Clearing discarded containers before they accumulate rainwater during the peak breeding season would help prevent mosquito breeding and reduce the risk of dengue transmission, they said.
The pilot is being conducted for a week to assess its effectiveness and operational feasibility. The Corporation plans to organise a full-fledged competition for 10 to 15 days from August, with daily zone-wise rankings. Awards will be presented to the best-performing zone, while an outstanding sanitary inspector will be recognised as the “Player of the Series.”
“We introduced it as a simple idea and did not expect such an encouraging response,” an official said.
The recyclable plastic waste collected during the drive will be sold to authorised recyclers during the next disposal cycle, with the proceeds to be retained by the sanitation workers involved in the initiative, officials added.
