Chief occupants of households with mosquito-breeding grounds will now face spot fines or even jail terms, a Health Ministry official warned yesterday as the dengue epidemic continues.
He said this would take effect when Parliament approved amendments to the Mosquito Breeding Prevention Act of 2007.
The amendments would empower the Director General of Health to declare an emergency situation in areas with high number of dengue cases.
During the emergency period, Medical Officers of Health (MOH) would have the power to impose spot fines of up to Rs. 2000 on any person found guilty of not taking measures to curb mosquito breeding. This wouild be similar to the spot fines imposed on traffic offenders.
Health Ministry’s Deputy Director General (Public Health), Dr. Sarath Amunugama said that according to present laws, about two weeks were needed to take action against offenders and during this time, thousands of mosquitoes would have bred.
“Usually a verbal warning is given by MOHs and Public Health Inspectors (PHIs),
then a warning notice and finally legal action. It’s a long process and it is apparently not being taken seriously by most people,” he said.
Under the present Act, if the owner or the occupier fails to take measures to destroy breeding grounds, he or she is produced before a magistrate and fined not less than Rs. 1000 and not more than Rs.25, 000.
“The new law will impose a jail term of six months for offenders,” Dr. Amunugama said.
He said the new law would also enable health officials to enter and inspect gardens of private residences without written consent of the residents. Photographic evidence would be submitted to court when prosecuting offenders.
Last year 185 persons died and 28,140 dengue cases were reported. Dengue has already claimed 13 lives this month with 2,638 cases being reported. The highest number of cases was reported from Colombo and Gampaha districts followed by Kandy, Kalutara, Puttalam, and Ratnapura. |
E-mail
