KARACHI: The Sindh government has handed over 60 fumigation vehicles to the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) and promised to release Rs5 million for purchase of fuel to launch an anti-dengue campaign `immediately`, officials said on Wednesday.

They said Sindh Chief Secretary Muhammad Siddique Memon, while presiding over a meeting at his office on Wednesday, asked the KMC authorities to launch the anti-dengue spray campaign immediately.

Mr Memon said Rs5m for fuel would be provided to the KMC as `special grant` Head of the provincial dengue control programme Dr Masood Solangi briefed the meeting about facts regarding dengue infection in Karachi. He said that around 1,620 dengue cases had been reported in the city so far, of which three patients had lost their lives.

Dr Solangi said effective fumigation campaign was essentially required to control the situation.

The chief secretary asked deputy commissioners of the six districts of Karachi to visit their respective areas and get all the swimming pools closed or dried, where they found unchlorinated water, with immediate effect.