COIMBATORE: The Coimbatore corporation on Saturday held dengue street awareness programmes in its five zones, with the participation of more than 500 members of the public, including school and college students from the surrounding areas.“Dengue Awareness @ Street” programmes were held in South Second Street at Avarampalayam, AKS Nagar near Gandhi Park, on Itteri Road in Pothanur, Kallarai Road in Sowripalayam and in Ramalingam Colony near Bharathi Park. The streets were transformed into dengue awareness themed zones, featuring messages and displays on dengue prevention, mosquito control and public healthThe programmes featured dengue-awareness short films screened on large screens, a public pledge campaign carrying the message “Let us participate and eradicate dengue,” and demonstrations of mosquito-control equipment. Containers that could become breeding sites for dengue mosquitoes were also displayed.Residents, including children, women, youth and senior citizens, participated in rangoli competitions based on dengue prevention. Senior citizens distributed awareness pamphlets door-to-door and narrated stories on dengue prevention to children under the “Dengue Story Street play” programme.Mobile medical teams conducted fever-screening camps, while nilavembu herbal drink was distributed to residents. Saplings were planted to mark the occasion. As part of this awareness programme, handwashing demonstrations, mehndi activities, games and traditional art forms like silambam were performed to keep the public engaged. Prizes were distributed to winners of the rangoli competition held in various wards.Corporation officials said similar awareness programmes would be conducted every Saturday in the city’s 6,959 streets.While welcoming the initiative, residents said the corporation should carry out the mass cleaning drive at least once in every 15 days. “In streets with more hostels, during festive seasons and holidays, the waste gets piled up and is not removed for more than 3-4 days, which would lead to spread of infection and create unhygienic conditions. So, these aspects should be considered. During regular days, residents fail to segregate their waste, which again is left along the streets. If these are rectified, their purpose of awareness would serve the best,” a resident of Ramalingam Colony said.
