Call for integrated approach to prevent outbreak of dengue

Policy makers, bureaucrats, editors of different national dailies and news agencies yesterday called for an integrated approach to prevent outbreak of dengue and improving quality of services to the city dwellers.

An integrated approach should be taken immediately involving ministries concerned to make Dhaka a beautiful city by discharging garbage, easing traffic congestion and checking dengue outbreak during the breeding season of aedes mosquitoes, they said.

"Dhaka has turned into a city of garbage and mud as digging roads have been continuing indiscriminately," they viewed.

Dhaka City Corporation (DCC) organised the meeting with the editors and senior journalists to exchange views at hotel Sheraton here.

Information Minister Tariqul Islam, Mayor Sadek Hossain Khoka, State Minister for Health Anisur Rahman Sinha, LGRD Secretary AYBI Siddique, Health Secretary Fazlur Rahman, Barrister Mainul Hosein and Prof Abdullah Abu Sayeed addressed the meeting.

Tariqul Islam said Prime Minister Khaleda Zia at a meeting with the senior ministers recently asked them to take all out efforts for making Dhaka a beautiful city by ensuring all civic amenities. "The mayor has to meet the requirements of the city dwellers," he added.

Khoka said effective coordination among the departments concerned is needed for easing city's traffic congesting, removing garbage and stopping indiscriminate digging of roads.

A new master plan should be implemented jointly by DCC and RAJUK to ease traffic congestion in the city, he added.

Referring to disposal of garbage he said the DCC is clearing nearly 4,500 tonnes of garbage everyday and dumping it at Jatrabari. DCC is planning to dump garbage at four other places, he said.

Khoka urged the city dwellers to come forward to check dengue during the current breeding season of aedes mosquitoes. He also sought cooperation from media in this regard.

The speakers, however, suggested the DCC authorities to launch awareness campaign for prevention of dengue involving local people.

President of Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists (BFUJ) Gias Kamal Chowdhury, News Today editor and President of Jatiya Press Club Reazuddin Ahmed, Daily Star editor Mahfuz Anam, Jugantor editor Golam Sarwar, Janakantha editor Atiqullah Khan Masud, Bhorer Kagoj editor Abed Khan, Manabjamin editor Motiur Rahman Chowdhury and Shaikh Shiraj of Channel I also spoke on the occasion.