Mumbai: The BMC is using powerful mediums like social networking sites to create awareness about serious health issues concerning us. With 87 cases of malaria reported this monsoon, the BMC has posted letters on Orkut and e-mails asking citizens to help the civic body fight this menace. The BMC has also asked NGOs to help.

The letter, written by Deepak Adsul, insecticide officer at BMC, says, "I would like to appeal to all learned citizens that they may help me in my mission by covering or removing from their building terraces, all odd articles like drums, buckets, plant saucers, discarded bottles, tins, coconut shells, tyres, scrapped machinery parts, etc, that can hold or are likely to hold rainwater."

"We had approached the BMC to undertake fogging in our area. They agreed to help, but also asked me to spread the message. Orkut, being a very popular website among youth and professionals, we decided to post BMC's appeal in individual communities. The Matunga community on Orkut has 3,868 people. We will post this on many similar communities," said Gaurang Damani, a social activist from Sion.

Added Adsul, "In our survey, we found that people are careless about their surroundings. I thought by writing a letter and posting it on popular websites, the BMC will reach out to a large number of people."