Firozabad has been battling an outbreak of dengue and viral fever. (Representational)
With dengue and viral fever claiming 50 lives so far, the Firozabad district administration in Uttar Pradesh has issued an order to drain out stagnant water from coolers, pots, plastic utensils, among others, to prevent the spread of diseases.
District Magistrate Chandra Vijay Singh issued instructions to officials of the municipal corporation and the health department to this effect.
Acting on the order, the municipal corporation staff began a door-to-door survey today, sources in the corporation said.
The step has been taken to eliminate mosquitoes breeding in the stagnant water of coolers, pots and plastic utensils to dismiss the chances of dengue spread.
Known for bangles and glass works, Firozabad is around 50 km from Agra and 320 km from the capital city of Lucknow.
The district has been battling an outbreak of dengue and viral fever for the past two weeks that has claimed 50 lives, mostly of children, so far.
The Uttar Pradesh government officials, including Principal Secretary (Medical Education) Alok Kumar, today reached the government medical college, and interacted with patients of dengue and viral fever admitted in different wards.
Kumar also went to Salai primary health centre, and then at Abbas Nagar --- one of the affected areas --- from where he got 8-year-old Hashmi and 11-year-old Zeenat admitted to the medical college.
Nodal officer Sudhir Kumar Bobde also visited the medical college and the other affected areas.
Considering the gravity of the problem, a six-member team of the Union health ministry had arrived here to look into all aspects of the disease, Additional Director (Health), Agra division A K Singh said on Friday.
Some similar cases have also been found in neighbouring Mathura, Agra and Mainpuri, officials added.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)