The Health Ministry will take legal action against principals who breed dengue mosquitoes in their schools, the Healthy Ministry sources said.
They will be given one month to clean up and legal action will be taken against those who do not follow the rule. Permits of all construction sites with dengue mosquitoes will be cancelled for a period of one month, the Health Ministry sources added.
According to the sources, Health Minister Dr. Rajitha Senaratne had instructed to destroy all abandoned boats kept at fisheries harbours. Arrangements will be made to clean up all schools before April 26 (next Wednesday) and a report should be issued on cleaned schools by the police and health officials. A circular will be issued making it compulsory to provide a report on dengue mosquito eradication in schools to school development committees every month.
Abandoned boats will be given to a private company to destroy. A dengue information centre will be established in the Disaster Management Unit of the Health Ministry.
Minister Dr. Senaratne pointed out that 80 percent of dengue mosquito larvae had been found in homes, the sources said.
During this year (up to April 21), a total of 34,059 dengue patients and 61 deaths had been reported from all parts of the country.
The highest number of dengue patients - 13,704 - had been reported from the Western Province.
The highest number of dengue patients - 7540 - had been reported from the Colombo district, the sources added.