Concerted effort is needed to fight chikungunya. Hundreds of suspected chikungunya cases have been reported from various parts of the state, including Bangalore. People are pouring into hospitals complaining of chikungunya-like symptoms. While many of those coming to hospitals with symptoms are likely to be suffering from flu, still several cases of chikungunya have been confirmed. Dakshina Kannada district alone has reported around 20,000 suspected cases. In the past, chikungunya was known to strike urban and semi-urban populations mainly. In recent years, it is striking rural India more severely. This is cause for serious concern as health facilities in villages are limited. Public health officials need to spread awareness about the illness, its symptoms and preventive steps to reduce the panic. Practically unknown to a whole generation, chikungunya made a comeback in late 2005 after a gap of 32 years. Back in 2005, the public health authorities were taken aback by the outbreak of chikungunya. They were unprepared but this was understandable. But chikungunya has been striking peninsular India for the last three years in a row and our health officials are just as poorly prepared as they were in 2005. This unpreparedness is inexcusable. Chikungunya, malaria and dengue are among the illnesses common in India that are spread by mosquitoes. It is well known that stagnant water and poor sanitation provide mosquitoes with an ideal breeding ground. Fogging operations are often carried out as a preventive measure but this is inadequate. Civic authorities need to ensure that sewers and open drains are covered. Every year when monsoons hit the country, problems like stagnant water, overflowing drains, seepage, flooding and diseases like chikungunya and gastro-enteritis confront the public. Yet civic authorities do little to tackle these problems, preferring instead to adopt firefighting measures to deal with the epidemics. But ensuring clean neighborhoods is as much the responsibility of the public as it is of the authorities. Citizens' groups should put pressure on the government to get its act together ahead of the monsoons. More importantly, there should be conscious efforts by citizens themselves to keep their surroundings clean so that mosquitoes and flies would be denied a breeding ground. Diseases like chikungunya can be fought effectively only when people join hands with the civic authorities.