Dengue scare: Schools get dress code orders for children

New Delhi, Sep 15: Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on Tuesday issued mandatory directions to all schools of Delhi to ensure that children come dressed in full-sleeved shirts, trousers and salwar kameez for the next one month as a preventive measure to avoid mosquito bites.

The move comes in the wake of dengue assuming alarming proportions in the city, with at least 1,872 cases of the vector-borne disease being reported this year till this month, and five official deaths because of it.

Sisodia directed the schools to allow children to wear full-sleeved shirts of any colour, irrespective of whether it is the school uniform or not.

"Parents should send their children to schools only in clothes of full sleeves and the government will ensure that the uniform colour does not create any problem to the children," said Sisodia.

The order will apply to all schools across the national capital – of Delhi government, municipal corporation-run and, private schools – aided and unaided. Sisodia took the decision after conducting surprise inspection of various schools in the morning, along with Environment Minister Asim Ahmed Khan.

The deputy chief minister also directed the health authorities to issue challans to schools where mosquito breeding or water stagnation were found.

He directed school principals to activate 'eco clubs' for ensuring that premises are kept clean and that there are no areas which are prone to mosquito-breeding.

Sisodia also asked the schools to nominate teachers-in- charge of 'eco clubs' as nodal officers for dengue prevention in schools and directed that fund available for such club activities should be used for prevention of water stagnation and similar measures.

As per the corporation's fresh data released yesterday, 613 cases of dengue have been reported in the last one week till September 12.

A six-year-old boy from Srinivaspuri area of South Delhi has become the latest victim of dengue this season. With this death, the dengue death toll in the city has risen to ten.

However, the death toll as per the municipal corporation's official data still stands at 5.

PTI