CMC warn schools

8 August 2010 04:15 pm

By Yohan Perera

The Colombo Municipal Council (CMC) warned today that it will be compelled to take action against 14 principals of leading schools in the city if the schools did not keep their premises clean to prevent the spread of dengue.

This comes after 20 children who were staying in a hostel in a leading school in Colombo got infected with dengue recently.

CMC Chief Medical Officer Dr. Pradeep Kariyawasam told Daily Mirror that the council would be compelled to take these schools to courts as they have continuously turned a deaf ear to the continuous requests made by the council to keep the premises clean.

Referring to the situation in the school where 20 dengue cases were reported, he said it was found that stagnated water in the basement of the school auditorium may have caused it. He said this was uncovered at an inspection carried out in the school by the officers attached to the CMC’s public health department.

He said quick action is essential as more than 50 percent of the dengue cases reported from the Colombo City are children.

Dr. Kariyawasam stressed the need for changing the school hours as the peak hour which the Dengue mosquito moves is around 7.30 in the morning.  “Change of school hours is needed as there is no point in sending children to a school in the main city of the country and expose them to dengue mosquitoes,” he pointed out.

He said cleaning up of premises continuously is essential considering the nature of the life cycle of the mosquito. He explained that dengue mosquito egg can survive for months even on a dry surface while a tea spoon full of water is enough for the breeding of the mosquito.

While stating that the CMC is carrying out cleaning campaigns continuously in and around Colombo.