"A total of 32,812 suspected malaria cases were detected in the city in the past six months. Out of these, 20 patients were confirmed to have malaria. There were as many as 296 suspected dengue patients in the same period, of which 37 were confirmed to have contracted the virus," said Mr Anil Roy, medical officer of health(MOH), Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC).

 Eight malaria cases were registered in June, while just one patient was found to have malaria in January. The month of June also recorded 23 dengue cases, while one case was confirmed in April.

From June 9-29, the civic health department as part of a drive to find and destroy mosquito breeding places in the municipal limits, searched a total of 21,587 houses. The department went through 62,890 containers and found mosquito larvae in 286 houses.

Dengue and Chikungunya are both caused by the mosquito Aedes egyptii. The female mosquitoes lay eggs in stagnant water, so there is a need to empty and clean water storing utensils regularly. Some of the precautions that need to be taken are :

Overhead and underground tanks that cannot be emptied must be closed with tight lids to prevent the mosquitoes from entering and laying eggs.

Water in the flower pots and trays below refrigerators must also be emptied every week. Care must be taken to dispose of scrap material stored in courtyards or terraces of houses to avoid accumulation of water, which could act as breeding grounds for mosquitoes.