Dengue haunts flooded neighbourhoods in Kolkata

KOLKATA: An eight-year-old girl from Behala’s Kazipara Road is battling with dengue in the paediatric intensive care unit (PICU) of a private hospital off the EM Bypass.


A final year college student from Shantipally in Behala is still feeble after recovering from dengue. She was discharged from hospital only three days ago.

Many other people are suffering from either unconfirmed fever or dengue that has started its ugly head in the city. Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) has identified that some wards in Behala are dengue prone. KMC officials admitted to the dengue problem in Behala, saying that the worst affected are neighbouring areas of the Maheshtala Municipality.

“We have identified that the wards 131 and 132 are dengue prone. Our workers are visiting the areas regularly to step up anti-mosquito drive,” said a senior KMC health department official. Sunil Mukhopadhayay, a resident of Kazipara Road under ward number 131, said, “My granddaughter had fever, abdominal pain and vomiting. She was rushed to the hospital where she was tested positive to dengue.”

Mukhopadhyay’s granddaughter Adrija has been undergoing treatment at AMRI Hospital, Mukundapur since Monday. Doctors said the girl had to be admitted in the PICU as her condition was critical. Adrija’s father is an associate professor of pathology at Bankura Medical College.

About 2km away in Shantipally, every alternate household has someone who is either suffering from dengue or has been treated for the ailment. Locals said problem started towards the end of July and the number of dengue victims is going up. “The situation is quite scary. Luckily, I got my blood samples tested on time, leading to timely medical attention. But I am still weak,” said Arpita Mistry of Shantipally. The 20-year-old had to be treated at Vidyasagar Hospital for four days and was discharged on August 17. Her cousin Anupam Mistry who lives next door was also tested positive for the disease.

Locals apprehend the problem took to aggravating after the downpour last Saturday, which had left many areas waterlogged. “Till Wednesday morning, some pockets were still inundated. Though KMC officials have managed to remove the stagnant water, there are still puddles of clean water that can serve as breeding grounds for mosquitoes,” said Pradip Saha, a resident of of Parnashree.