School heads to be sued for mosquito breeding

By Don Asoka Wijewardena

The Health Ministry says it will institute legal action against 18 principals for their failure to eliminate mosquito breeding places in their schools in the Gampaha District.

The Medical Research Institute (MRI), which conducted an entomology survey of dengue mosquitoes, in 25 private organizations, 27 schools and 100 houses in the Gampaha District, had detected dengue mosquito larvae at 18 popular schools and in 59 houses, the Health Ministry said yesterday.A Health Ministry spokesman told The Island that according to the survey, factories, tyre shops, ornamental flower outlets and flower nurseries in the district had mosquito breeding places within their premises. The owners of those establishments would also be prosecuted in accordance with the provisions of the Dengue Control Act. In Kiribathgoda, Kadawatha, Yakkala, Seeduwa and Kelaniya areas 18 schools were found to be facilitating the breeding of dengue mosquitoes.

The Health Ministry spokesman pointed out that Health Minister Maithripala Sirisena had instructed his officials to take legal action against errant principals and other individuals responsible for the spread of dengue.

The spokesman added that the National Dengue Control Week had ended yesterday.

Under the Dengue Mosquito Control Act, any person found to be facilitating the breeding of dengue mosquitoes, could be fined up to Rs. 50,000 and/or jailed for six months.

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