When dengue epidemic was at its peak across the country in August and September, the health department of Chandrapur Municipality had launched several campaigns to raise awareness among locals on the precautions to be taken to control dengue. The campaigns continued till last week.

But as the epidemic has subsided across the country, it has not in Rautahat, say health department representatives. So far, Rautahat has seen a total of 18 dengue-infected patients, and the number is on the rise with hospitals seeing fresh patients every day. According to hospital officials, about a dozen patients suspected of dengue are diagnosed every day.

Representatives of the municipality have visited several eateries and vehicle workshops in the city—since the water stored in drums and tyres make for an ideal breeding ground for mosquitoes— and directed the owners to clear the area of stagnant water accumulated in unused tyres.

“Our inspection team has found that mosquitoes that breed inside the tyres of vehicles are most responsible for transmitting dengue,” said Abhay Thakur, head of the health department in Chandrapur Municipality. “Water stored in pots and drums in households also breed mosquitoes. Even as the rain has subsided, rainwaters are still stored in tyres and drums, which is why we continue to see fresh dengue patients every day.”

The health department of the municipality since July this year has been launching campaigns to contain dengue. The municipality has founded committees in all of its 10 wards, appointing representatives to aware the locals on dengue epidemic.

But according to Thakur, even though the campaigns have been successful, various workshop owners in the town have been reluctant to clean their space even after repeated requests.

“Even as monsoon has ended, the fear of dengue has not,” Thakur said.