Part of dengue prevention programme:

No approval of housing plans without easy access to roofs

Nadira Gunatilleke

"The Health Ministry is in the process of formulating new rules and regulations with the assistance of line ministries and institutions as part of its dengue prevention programme," a Health Ministry spokesman said. "Under this, approval will not be granted to new housing plans, without easy access to roofs," the spokesman said.

The spokesman said Municipal Councils and Urban Councils mainly grant approval for new building plans. Some of these building plans do not have access to roofs, making it difficult for residents and health authorities to clean the blocked gutters, turning them into mosquito breeding sites.

A special discussion was held at the Health Ministry with the participation of Health Minister Maithripala Sirisena, gutter manufacturing companies and other relevant parties.

There are around three gutter manufacturing companies in Sri Lanka. They agreed to introduce a new dengue free gutter at an exhibition to be held soon, he said.

The gutters are to be manufactured in a new shape and can be cleaned from the ground by tapping on it using a stick. Most homes do not have any access to roofs and blocked gutters have become one of the main mosquito breeding places. Plastic water tanks have also become mosquito breeding sites in many homes, he added.