Rise in dengue cases in Subang Jaya worrisome

Star: The incidence of dengue cases in the Subang Jaya municipality has risen by 34% in just the first nine months of this year compared with figures for the whole of last year.
Subang Jaya Municipal Council (MPSJ) president Mohd Arif Abdul Rahman said there were 385 confirmed dengue cases in the municipality from January to December last year but the council had already recorded 517 confirmed cases this year.
“Based on the statistics the council has identified five dengue-prone areas – Taman Universiti Indah, Taman Pinggiran Putra, Taman Puchong Perdana, Taman Subang Mewah and Putra Heights.
“The rise in the number of confirmed dengue cases is worrying and the council is going all out to combat the problem.
“We have already started conducting door-to-door checks to issue fines to owners of premises where mosquito larvae are found,” he said adding that recipients had to pay the maximum RM500 penalty.
He said the council was also getting tough with the offenders and those who chose to ignore the fines had been taken to court.
He said 69 cases had already been referred to court this year.
Mohd Arif said paying the fines also did not get the offenders off the hook as he had now instructed the council’s enforcement unit to revisit the premises after a short period to ensure that the areas had been cleaned up.
“We have also been conducting monthly checks at construction sites, especially abandoned projects, to ensure there are no mosquito breeding grounds there,” he said.
He said there were seven stalled or bandoned projects in the municipality but all except for two were being revived either by the original developer or after being taken over by another company.
Mohd Arif said he would be meeting with members of the MPSJ residents representative committees this Sunday to call for their help in increasing awareness programmes among residents on ways to eliminate mosquito- breeding areas.
“Committees throughout the municipality will have to carry out these dengue awareness programmes and those that fail will see their annual budgets slashed,” he said.