As sporadic dengue cases are getting reported from various parts of Tirunelveli and neighbouring Tenkasi district, Collector Anand Mohan chaired a meeting here on Tuesday evening to review operations to prevent a possible outbreak of vector-borne and water-borne diseases during the upcoming monsoon season.

Since the district is likely to experience heavy downpour during the northeast monsoon between October and December this year due to the effects of Super El-Nino, Mr. Anand Mohan instructed the local administration and public health departments to carry out mass cleaning operations to remove garbage and discarded articles, organise medical camps in vulnerable areas and desilt clogged drainage and storm water channels to avert water stagnation.

The local bodies, after cleaning all overhead tanks and ground-level sumps, should ensure the supply of duly chlorinated drinking water to residents. The chlorination should be constantly monitored through chemical analysis in the laboratory maintained by the local bodies and the drinking water analysis report should be maintained properly.

The local bodies should also deploy anti-dengue workers in sufficient numbers to identify dengue cases, if any, and ensure the right line of medical assistance and monitor the health of patients after complete recovery or discharge from the hospital.

The stagnant rainwater and sewage should be drained immediately. Garbage such as discarded plastic products, tyres and bottles should be removed, as water stagnating in these discarded articles would facilitate mosquito breeding. The local bodies should create awareness among the public on keeping their environment clean and take stringent action against those who defy these instructions.

School and college students and children coming to anganwadis with fever should immediately be referred to the nearest government hospital or primary health centre for treatment. The Taluk Medical Officer should also be alerted, Mr. Anand Mohan said.

District Health Officer Murali Shankar, City Health Officer Balasubramanian, medical officers of government hospitals, Block Development Officers, Executive Officers of town panchayats and commissioners of municipalities participated in the meeting.

In Tenkasi district, Class VIII student Rehan Mary and 21-year-old D. Nirmala, both from Boganallur Srilankan Tamils rehabilitation camp, who were admitted to Tirunelveli Medical College Hospital reportedly with dengue symptoms, died. While Rehan Mary died a month ago, Nirmala died on Tuesday night.

The Tenkasi district administration has also intensified the anti-dengue drive by organising mass cleaning operations in residential areas and conducting medical camps in areas recording an abnormal number of fever cases.

Published - August 19, 2026 07:46 pm IST