Reza Mahmud :
Increased mosquito menace in the capital city has created panic among the dwellers as a noticeable number of them suffered from Chikunguniya, a mosquito infecting disease, few months ago.
Sources said, the Dhaka South and Dhaka North City Corporations have spent more than Tk 131 crore to combat mosquito menace in last five years. But they failed to show a positive result yet. “We can’t stay few moments in ease position due to untold mosquito menace. The children are mostly victims of the mosquitoes. They even can’t enjoy to read their new books. The elderly people also become the victims of the menace,” said Abul Hossain, a Pharmacy owner at Gendaria in the city.
He said the people are in fear of increasing mosquito menace as many of them had suffered Chikunguniya a few months ago.
Sources said, increasing mosquito threat mostly being witnessed in Jurain, Gandaria, Mirhazirbagh, Narinda, Sutrapur, Wari, Sayedabad, Jatrabari, Dhalpur, Motijheel, Fakirapool, Kamlapur, Mugda, Bashaboo, Moghbazar, Malibagh, Banasree, Badda Bazar Road near Egaro Sharani, Rampura, Kuril, Farmgate, Mohammadpur, Hazaribagh, Rayerbagh and Mirpur areas.
The menace is also spreading in the posh areas like Gulshan, Baridhara, Banani, Uttara and Dhanmondi areas, though most of the apartments in those areas are secured with net in the windows.
“Flock of mosquitoes are used to attack us the whole day — in the morning, noon, afternoon, evening and the night. We cannot get rid of it any time in 24 hours,” said Atif Shahriyar, a Private University student from Gulshan Avenue told The New Nation yesterday.
Official data shows that the two city corporations spent more than Tk 131 crore in last five years to combat with mosquitoes. But it cannot give a positive result yet.
DSCC has spent Tk 66.76 crore in last five years to eliminate mosquitoes. Amongst those, it has allocated Tk 25.60 crore in this 2017-18 fiscal year. It spent Tk 17.18 crore in 2016-17, Tk 9.90 in 2015-16, Tk 11.95 crore in 2014-15, Tk 2.13 crore in 2013-14 fiscal years.
DNCC has spent Tk 64.40 crore in last five years to combat mosquito menace. Amongst them, it has allocated Tk 20 crore in this 2017-18 fiscal year. It spent Tk 16.85 crore in 2016-17, Tk 11.95 in 2015-16, Tk 7.80 in 2014-15, Tk 7.85 in 2013-14 fiscal years.
The city dwellers alleged that negligence of concern employees of both the city corporations is responsible for the increasing mosquito menace. They are not honestly taking care to clean drains, ponds and other water bodies where the mosquitoes are breeding as their safe havens.
The citizens also alleged that the six employees fixed for each ward in the city areas to spray medicines to kill mosquitoes have not been found regularly for long. That is why the breeding of mosquitoes has increased in the last few weeks.
The residents, especially the children, are in fear to infect different types of diseases like Dengue, Malaria and Filaria to be spread from the mosquito bites.
When contacted, DSCC Chief Health Officer Brigadier General Dr. Sheikh Salahuddin said, “The Mosquitoes are increasing in this environment. In such circumstances, we have increased 33 percent of medicine to kill mosquitoes.”
He asked people to be aware from mosquito infecting disease.
The official said 328 employees are working to combat mosquito menace with 246 fogger machines and 370 more hand driven machines.
The DNCC Chief Health Officer Brigadier General Dr. Zakir Hossain said, “We have already completed a crush programme in this regard started from 28 December last year ended on January 4.”
He also said the DNCC health officials have already made clear 900 bigha waterbodies from 2153 bighas aiming to destroy mosquito- breeding hubs.
He said 284 DNCC workers are fighting to eliminate mosquitoes with 250 fogger machines. They also have plans to buy more 150 fogger machines soon.
