Arunachal Pradesh Health Minister Atum Welly has called upon the officials of his department to take pro–active measures in order to prevent Dengue and Japanese Encephalitis from becoming epidemic in the State. Following the reported five Dengue death in neighbouring Assam in recent times, Welly yesterday convened an emergency meeting with the officials of health department to review the preparedness against any outbreak of Dengue and Japanese Encephalitis in the State, official sources informed here today. He stressed that the department should ensure that no lives are lost from these two preventable diseases. Emphasizing the need of coordination between health department and other line departments, the minister said the administration should be requested to give instructions on maintaining clean environment and regular waste disposals to prevent breeding of mosquitoes. “With regards to Japanese Encephalitis, the piggeries in domestic backyards should be strictly disallowed with orders. This is because the pigs happen to be the amplifying hosts to the virus causing the disease,” he said. “The Health department must ensure that sufficient quantities of fogging machines and pumps should be made functional and in readiness. Malathione (insecticides) and diesel to be kept in sufficient quantity for fogging operations,” he added. Arunachal Pradesh recorded cases of Dengue for the first time in 2012 at East Siang, Papum Pare, West Siang and Upper Siang districts where about 346 cases were detected positive. While Japanese Encephalitis claimed one life in Changlang district recently, the disease also reported from Tirap, East Kameng and Upper Subansiri districts.