Dhaka: With a view to preventing mosquito-borne viral disease Chikungunya, Dhaka South City Corporation has taken a programme to release mosquito-killing fish guppies into sewerage lines and other drainage areas in the city.

‘We have taken a plan to release the fries of guppy into 450-kilometre drain area of the city to prevent the outbreak of Chikungunya,’ said Mayor of Dhaka South City Corporation Sayeed Khokon today while speaking at a seminar as the chief guest, reports the BSS.

Stamford University organised the seminar on cautiousness to prevent Chikungunya and Dengue on its Sidwashari campus.

Guppy, a freshwater fish popularly kept in aquarium, is able to eat 50 mosquito larvae and eggs daily and helps reduce the spread of mosquito-borne disease.

Former Chief Scientific Officer of Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR) Towhid Uddin Ahmed presented the keynote paper at the event.

Additional Director General of Environment Directorate Kazi Sarwar Imtiaz, Vice-Chancellor of Stamford University Bangladesh Prof Mohammad Ali Naqi, among others, spoke at the programme with former VC of the university Dr Feroze Ahmed in the chair.

The Mayor said, ‘We have asked all urban primary healthcare centres, maternity and city corporation’s hospitals to treat Chikungunya patients going from door to door.’

‘We have also provided physiotherapy to more than 1.5 thousand patients for healing their joint pains as per doctor’s advice,’ he said.