Assam has witnessed surge in dengue cases in the region. Over 1000 reported positive cases across the state till date.
Among the reports cases, more than 800 cases has reported from July to till date of 2024. As per official date Assam has reported around 214 Dengue cases in July, around 293 cases in August and around 336 cases in September to till date.
This year the highest number of cases of Dengue is reported in Dima Hasao with 360 cases. Following Dima Hasao, Jorhat with 73 cases and Kamrup Metro with 72 dengue cases.
According to senior officials, the rise in dengue cases follows a decrease in Japanese Encephalitis cases. The officials stated through media, “As Japanese Encephalitis cases started declining, we started a surge in dengue cases from July-August. The situation seems to be alarming, especially in Dima Hasao and to some extent in some areas of Guwahati.”
The Health Department of Assam has sent a team to Dima Hasao to evaluate the situation and take steps to control the outbreak.
The Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC) has bought five new thermal fogging machines to help tackle the rising dengue cases in the city. These remote-controlled devices run on a 12-volt rechargeable battery and can be easily mounted on two- or three-wheeled vehicles. The chemical tank of each machine has holding capacity 50 litres of chemicals and can sprays up to 80 litres per hour.
To improve fogging operations, 15 new workers have been hired, making it easier to cover hard-to-reach areas like hills and congested streets. Previously, staff had to carry heavier machines to such locations, but the new lightweight devices simplify the process. The GMC had already purchased 10 handheld and five vehicle-mounted machines to boost its efforts.
