Reza Mahmud :
Increasing mosquito menace in the capital city is causing untold sufferings to residents, especially thousands of examinees of ongoing Primary Education Completion and upcoming Secondary School Certificate.
They blamed the both Dhaka South City Corporation and Dhaka North City Corporation for failure to control the increasing of mosquitoes.
“Children, who are examinees of Primary Education Completion suffer most. The examinees of 2018 SSC examinations also face trouble in taking preparation of lessons,” said Jakir Ahmed, a guardian of a candidate at from Gendaria in the capital city.
The residents of Dhaka North echoed the same. They said the people from the posh areas like Gulshan, Banani, Baridhara, Uttara and different slum areas also are suffering from the mosquito menace.
A resident from Mirpur area said their children are taking preparations for examination using mosquito net even at daytimes.
“There are millions of mosquitoes in Mirpur area. Our children cannot study smoothly. They even use mosquito nets, electric bats and burn coals at day time to get rid of mosquitos,” said Suman Sikdar a Mirpur resident.
Sources said both corporations and a certain department of the Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Co-operatives are liable to eliminate mosquitoes. But they have failed to free the residents from the problems.
According to official data, the DSCC allotted Tk 16,80,00,000 and the DNCC allotted Tk 20,00,00,000 to eliminate mosquitoes. But the allotments failed to check breeding of mosquitoes in the city.
The citizens alleged that the negligence of officials of both city corporations are responsible for the increasing problems.
The employees of both city corporations failed to take care of the drains, ponds and other water bodies where the mosquitoes are breeding as their safe havens.
“The employees do not clean the drains, ponds and waterlogged places regularly. This is the reason of rise of millions of mosquitoes in our area,” said Arifur Rahman, a resident from Khilgaon area in the city.
It is alleged that the six employees who were emploeed to spray medicines to kill mosquitoes did not do their duty for long. That is why the problems of mosquitoes increased in last few weeks.
The residents, especially the children are in fear of diseases like Dengue, Malaria and Filaria.
When contacted, DSCC Chief Health Officer Dr. Sheikh Salahuddin said, “The number of mosquitoes is more than the past. In such circumstances we have increased the amount of medicine to combat mosquitoes. But it is harmful for human health.”
