Bhubaneswar, March 9: In a bid to reduce malaria menace in Odisha, the state government has urged the Centre to provide 1.20 crore Long Lasting Insecticidal Nets (LLIN) to cover the high risk population.
However the Centre is yet to provide the LLINs after 18 months the state requested for it.
A senior official of the Health and Family Welfare department said, if the distribution of LLINs begins from now, malaria and dengue menace can be controlled before the rainy season. Besides, the department can make proper planning for distribution of LLINs district wise.
The Centre had floated tender for providing the nets. However, it got cancelled following single bidder. A new tender has been floated and we hope the company will provide the nets soon, the officer added.
The Centre had provided 1.50 crore LLINs to Odisha in 2017. The LLINs are mosquito nets which have the insecticide incorporated in their fibre to kill mosquitoes. The longevity of the LLINs is three years.