Rayagada,31st July 2025: Rayagada is a malaria-prone district where the number of malaria cases increases each year. In response, the District Collector has directed that neem oil be used in all residential schools across the district.
To safeguard students in residential schools from life-threatening diseases like malaria, dengue, and chikungunya, several precautionary measures have already been implemented. These include:
Use of medicated mosquito nets,
Spraying of insecticides,
Maintaining clean surroundings, and
Providing immediate treatment when fever symptoms appear.
In addition to these measures, the administration has now introduced a unique initiative — the use of neem oil in all residential schools.
The District Administration has instructed teachers to prepare neem oil at the school level, as pure neem oil is not readily available everywhere. The preparation involves:
- Boiling neem leaves in regular oil,
- Extracting the infused oil,
- And using this as a mosquito repellent, applied externally.
Teachers of residential schools have been given training and instructions on how to make and use this neem oil effectively. This initiative is currently being widely implemented in the district. Initial feedback suggests that mosquito bites have reduced significantly due to this method.
Dr. Mamta Choudhury, Additional District Public Health Officer, had first proposed this method during a district-level meeting. After reviewing it, District Collector Parul Pattawar instructed the Mass Education Department to ensure that all residential school authorities adopt this method.
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