The Sri Lankan government on Monday said it would impose a new tax on abandoned lands in the Western Province to help curb the spread of dengue fever, which has claimed 225 lives.
Chief Minister of the Western Province Isuru Dewapriya said a 2 percent tax would be charged on the total value of the abandoned lands from its owners in order to curb the spread of the mosquito borne disease, if dengue breeding sites are found on the property.
The Epidemiology Unit of Sri Lanka said that to date, 80,732 people had been infected with dengue and approximately 43.22 percent of dengue cases were reported from the Western province.
This is the worst ever dengue outbreak to hit the island country, health workers said. “This situation warrants regular removal of possible mosquito breeding sites from the environment. It is also important to seek medical attention in the event of fever by day three of the illness,” the Epidemiology Unit said, as reported by Xinhua news agencies.
