CM blames neighbouring states for dengue outbreak

“Dengue is not a menace restricted to Tamil Nadu alone as in Telangana, there were more than 9,000 cases [of the disease] reported. Dengue has spread mostly from the neighbouring states of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana,” Chief Minister Palaniswami said, adding that the government was taking all possible steps to control the spread of the mosquito-borne disease.

The statement comes when dengue cases are being widely reported in the State and various controversies on the spread of dengue and deaths from the disease are doing the rounds. Opposition parties had demanded the State to be transparent on the issue, and had even stated not to term dengue fever as a ‘mysterious fever’.

Under the circumstances, when the Chief Minister on Tuesday addressed the media after meeting Telangana Governor Tamilisai Soundarajan here in the city, he was further asked of the steps taken by the State government to control the spread of dengue. To this, Palaniswami replied, “Two meetings with the Ministers of Health and Local Administration departments, along with Chief Secretary K Shanmugam and secretaries of concerned departments under my chairmanship, were conducted in Secretariat, and the officials were given proper directions to control the spread of dengue fever”.

The CM also said that stagnant water was one of the major reasons for the breeding of mosquitoes and hence advised people to avoid it immediately. People should also make sure that the water stored in their houses are closed properly, he added. He further urged the people to rush to nearby government hospitals in case of suffering from fever.