MUSCAT, JAN 8 - As the surroundings around construction sites are breeding grounds for disease-causing pests and vectors, the campaign launched by Muscat Municipality and the Ministry of Health on Monday focuses on nearly 25,000 facilities, including residential areas and 100 households.
The campaign was aimed at eradicating dengue-causing mosquitoes.
Temporary dwellings for the construction workers, makeshift shelters with thatched roofs and clusters of houses in unhygienic surroundings are breeding grounds for pests, vectors, rodents and other vehicles of diseases.
“We call upon all citizens and residents to avoid littering, which can collect water and provide a breeding ground for pests,” said a municipality official.
As per the National Integrated Vector Management Strategy (NIVMS), the most significant control methods is getting rid of man-made breeding sites.
“A hygienic accommodation for workers is a prerequisite for any company engaged in construction. Our companies are in full compliance with this rule,” said Shahswar G al Balushi, CEO, Oman Society of Contractors.
“However, some small companies, which are mostly outsourced to a third party, may be failing to abide by it,” he added.
“The pest and vector elimination plan involves three key elements: community partnership, environmental sanitation and integrated management,” says Dr Shawqi al Zadjali, Assistant Director-General for Health Affairs at the Muscat Municipality.
A Muscat resident was first to be diagnosed with dengue on December 12, following which the authorities carried out a survey to find out the possibility of local transmission.
The results showed a massive presence of pest-breeding sites in North and South Al Hail.
Another inspection found the breeding places in Seeb, Muscat, Muttrah and Bausher.
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