Gujarat Health Minister Praful Pansheriya on Tuesday, 6 October 2026, ordered an urgent intensification of fogging, fever surveillance, and anti-larval operations at the temporary accommodation of paramilitary personnel stationed in Gandhinagar for the National Unity Day parade, after a cluster of dengue cases was detected among them. The directive followed a high-level review meeting on vector-borne diseases convened by the state health department.

How the Outbreak Was Detected

Personnel from the Border Security Force (BSF), Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), and Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), drawn from multiple states, have been arriving in Gandhinagar since 21 September for the preparations. Their temporary quarters were arranged in government housing in Sectors 28 and 29 of the city.

According to the state health department, water accumulation in the newly constructed government housing complex led to elevated mosquito activity, which in turn triggered the dengue cluster. By 2 October, Gandhinagar Civil Hospital had confirmed that 24 personnel tested positive for dengue over a two-day period, with several others under observation for fever and body ache. All affected personnel are reportedly stable and are receiving treatment at the civil hospital.

Emergency Measures Ordered

Minister Pansheriya directed departments to treat the containment effort as a 'war footing' response. Specific instructions included intensive fogging and pesticide spraying at both the accommodation blocks and the parade ground, daily anti-larval operations, and comprehensive patient tracking in the affected zones.

He further ordered that four health workers be deployed in every block of the government housing where personnel are lodged. Officials were also directed to conduct rigorous checks to prevent stagnant water anywhere on or around the premises, with immediate drainage ordered wherever accumulation is found.

Broader Vector-Borne Disease Picture in Gujarat

The minister struck a broadly reassuring note on the state's overall disease burden. Malaria cases in Gujarat declined by 39.6 per cent in 2026 compared with the previous year, while dengue cases fell by 20.6 per cent, according to him, attributing the improvement to sustained health department campaigns.

Up to the 40th week of 2026, more than 1.39 crore blood samples had been tested across the state, yielding 1,401 malaria cases. On the dengue front, more than 1.50 lakh serum samples were tested at 42 special diagnostic centres affiliated with medical colleges, with 2,345 patients testing positive.

Pansheriya also confirmed that no new case of Chandipura virus had been reported in Gujarat in the past two months, crediting health teams who had worked continuously since the first case was detected in the state.

What Is at Stake: The October 31 Parade

The personnel currently in Gandhinagar are rehearsing for the National Unity Day celebrations at Ekta Nagar, with the main parade scheduled for 31 October 2026. The event is expected to feature police and paramilitary contingents alongside cultural performances. A deteriorating health situation among participating personnel in the weeks before the event makes the speed and effectiveness of containment measures critical. Health authorities have adequate stocks of anti-malarial medicines, insecticides, and larvicides, the minister said, urging citizens statewide to prevent water accumulation in and around their homes.