• NDCU awaits amendments to remove court warrant requirement 
• Cases surpass 59,000 as special control operation begins in WP

The National Dengue Control Unit (NDCU) is awaiting amendments to the Prevention of Mosquito Breeding Act No. 11 of 2007, particularly due to existing legal provisions that require health officials to obtain a Magistrate's court warrant before entering certain private premises to inspect suspected mosquito breeding sites when consent is refused.

Speaking to The Daily Morning yesterday (5), Acting NDCU Director, Dr Kapila Kannangara said the amendments to the Act had been proposed prior to his assumption of duties, but had since remained on hold and are only now being revisited by the Ministry of Health.

He explained that under the current provisions of the Act, special permission from court is required to enter certain premises to inspect for mosquito breeding sites. He said that this has created practical difficulties for health officials carrying out routine house-to-house inspections.

Citing field experience, he noted that obtaining court approval often slows down operations, particularly during large-scale inspections in residential areas. He added that this provision, along with several other clauses in the Act, is expected to be amended, although the draft legislation is still pending with the Ministry.

The Prevention of Mosquito Breeding Act was enacted by Parliament in 2007 during the tenure of then Health Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva, as part of a wider legal framework introduced to strengthen dengue prevention and mosquito control efforts in Sri Lanka. The legislation was designed to empower health authorities to inspect premises, eliminate mosquito breeding sites, and take legal action against non-compliance.

Sources privy to the matter told The Daily Morning that under the Act, Public Health Inspectors (PHIs) and authorised officers were granted powers to enter premises for inspection purposes, although entry to private residences required written consent from the owner or, in cases of refusal, a Magistrate’s court warrant.

They said that since its enactment, successive Governments had moved to strengthen the law further resulting in Cabinet approved proposals to enhance enforcement powers under the Act in 2012. 

Later, in 2017, under then Health Minister Dr Rajitha Senaratne,  Cabinet directed officials to draft amendments aimed at addressing “deficiencies and shortcomings” in implementation and improving the effectiveness of mosquito control operations.

Meanwhile, the number of dengue cases reported in Sri Lanka so far this year has exceeded 59,000, prompting the Government to launch a special dengue control programme covering 23 high-risk zones in the Western Province from yesterday.  

According to the NDCU, a total of 59,638 dengue cases have been reported during the year. The highest number of infections was recorded in June, when 21,546 cases were reported. During the first four days of July alone, another 4,251 cases have been identified. The Western Province continues to record the highest number of infections, with 31,249 cases. The Southern Province has reported 9,507 cases, followed by the Sabaragamuwa Province with 5,172 cases.

In response to the rising number of infections, the Government has decided to conduct a special dengue control operation covering 23 high-risk areas across the Western Province. The programme will be carried out in Maharagama, Kaduwela, Homagama, Gothatuwa, Battaramulla, Piliyandala and the Colombo Municipal Council area in the Colombo District. In the Gampaha District, operations will cover Biyagama, Kelaniya, Seeduwa, Ja-Ela, Mahara, Wattala, Negombo and Minuwangoda. In the Kalutara District, the programme will be implemented in Panadura, Bandaragama, Horana, Ingiriya and Kalutara.

It will be carried out with the participation of the health authorities, the Tri-Forces, the Police, District Secretariats, Divisional Secretariats, local government institutions, voluntary organisations and several other State and community representatives.

A National Dengue Operations Centre has also been established to provide accurate, reliable and timely information to the public, journalists, Government officials and volunteers engaged in dengue control activities. Additional Secretary of the Clean Sri Lanka programme S.P.C. Sugishwara requested members of the public to report mosquito breeding sites by calling 011-7966366. The Operations Centre will function from 8.00 a.m. to 4.00 p.m. from Monday to Friday, and from 8.00 a.m. until 12 noon on Saturdays. The hotline may be used to obtain information on the spread of dengue, report mosquito breeding sites, lodge complaints, obtain official information for media reporting and provide guidance to Government officials and volunteers involved in dengue prevention activities.

Furthermore, a discussion on the national dengue control programme was also held today under the chairmanship of the Secretary to the President. The meeting reviewed measures already implemented to control the outbreak and discussed further action planned under the joint initiative involving the Clean Sri Lanka Secretariat, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Defence, the Tri-Forces, the Police and the Ministry of Mass Media.