The Public Health Department of the Colombo Municipal Council has warned the Land Reclamation Department of legal action if the city canals are not cleaned within one week. Negligence has caused the spread of dengue during the months of January and February resulting in the deaths of three children in the Mutwal and Mattakkuliya areas.

Chief Medical Officer of Health, CMC, Dr. Pradeep Kariyawasam, told The Island that if the LRD failed to clean all the canals in Colombo City limits, legal action would be initiated. Ninety per cent of the canals in the city came under the purview of the LRD and these canals had become fertile dengue mosquito breeding grounds, he said.

Upto Tuesday (24), 55 dengue cases had been reported within the city limits this month, Dr. Kariyawasam said. One child from Mutwal was reported dead from dengue at the Borella Child Hospital’s Intensive Care unit. During the month of January, 105 dengue cases were reported and two children died of the disease.