As part of a series of steps taken for two months before to the monsoon season, Islamabad administration banned the storage of fresh water in the form of uncovered ponds and water fountains.
It is a “scientific fact that fresh water is a breeding ground for the virus” that causes dengue, according to an order issued by the district magistrate.
The directive stated that conditions favourable to the breeding of mosquitoes that carry dengue include the discharge of water from homes into streets and roads, the storage of fresh water in the form of uncovered ponds, fountains, and collected water in pots, lawns, and gardens.
The directive also mentioned tyre shops and scrap yards as potential dengue larvae rearing grounds. “There are sufficient grounds the district magistrate do hereby prohibit any kind of accumulation of fresh water in any form whatsoever,” it continued.
Steps are taken by Islamabad local administration
Barbecues, smoking, bonfires, burning and littering of waste, and combustible materials are all prohibited in the Margalla Hills under another order made for the area’s preservation. Clearing land in the highlands for livestock, contaminating water supplies, and cutting down trees were also outlawed. A violation of the Islamabad Wildfire (Protection, Preservation, Conservation, and Management) Ordinance 1979 and the Islamabad Preservation of Landscape Rules 1967 was cited as the basis for the order.
The order states, “There are sufficient grounds for proceeding and directions hereinafter appearing are necessary,” and goes on to forbid “BBQs, smoking, bonfires, burning and littering of garbage, littering of plastic, flammable items, encroachments, and grazing of livestock” in the Margalla Hills National Park in Islamabad within the jurisdiction of the capital. The effective date of these orders is immediately, and they will continue in effect for a further two months.
To read our article about “CDA progress towards expanding new sectors D-13, E-13 & F-13” click here.
