The winter season is passed and the summer is on; however, the inhabitants of the capital are suffering immensely from the outbreak of Culex mosquitoes. The appearance of mosquitoes increased as the day light off and the night starts. Even, the people suffer from its attack in day time. The wandering of the mosquitoes are everywhere— in home and streets, offices and business organizations. The suffering isn’t differed whether it’s a slum or an aristocrat area.
The disturbance of these little insects is seen everywhere even after the breeding season of Culex mosquitoes are over, and the irritations of the people seems know no bond.
According to the entomologist, the outbreak of Culex mosquitoes are greater now due the dry season. If the city corporation destroyed the breeding spots of these mosquitoes, then the problem wouldn’t be so severe. However, as the rainy season is ahead, the city corporations have to take initiatives to prevent the breeding of Aedis Mosquitoes. Otherwise, the situation might be more severe.
Professor Dr. Jahangirnagar University Department of Zoology, Kabirul Bashar told Bangladesh Pratidin,”Right now, the breeding season of Culex mosquitoes going on. And this Culex mosquito grows in ponds, sinks, drains. And there are many sinks and drains in the two city corporation areas. That's why the presence of mosquitoes is more prevalent there. If the City Corporation cleans these sinks and drains, the Culex mosquito would not have been such a nuisance.”
He said the monsoon season is ahead and Aedes mosquitoes will start to grow when it rains. If the related organizations including city corporations don’t prepare in advance to prevent the spread of Aedes mosquito, serious diseases like dengue can spread. In order to control this dengue, the city dwellers should be involved and campaigned in advance. Everyone should keep their yard clean. Condensation in containers durin should be thrown away. Unnecessary empty containers have to be removed from the houses and yards. Above all, everyone including the city dwellers should be more aware.
On the other hand, the citizens are in discontent that despite the expenditure of crores of Taka every year on the control of the mosquito, there is no notable advancement. They say, you can get rid of mosquitoes by putting on coils or mosquito nets at home; but people also suffer from mosquitoes-bite in buses, trains and launches. Homes, offices, markets, open spaces, roads, parks, playgrounds are not getting rid of mosquitoes. So, what is the result of spending so much money?
Ashraf Ali, a tea shopkeeper in Khilgaon area, said even when people sit down to drink tea, they don’t get settle for the irritations they get from the mosquitoes. Even, putting on the mosquito-coil isn’t enough.
The situation is the same in Sadarghat and different areas of Old Dhaka. Anwar Parvez, a businessman in Soarighat area, said none can stand anywhere for five minutes due to the pain of mosquitoes. He bought an electric bat from the shop to repel mosquitoes.
Zahid Hasan, a resident of Rampura and a private employee, said tmosquitoes bite even during the day. Many times during the day, his wife sits inside the mosquito net with their child. However, the concerned officials of the two city corporations of Dhaka said that they are conducting regular mosquito eradication activities.
Earlier DSCC used to utilize fogging machine every seven days. Now fogging is done every four days. North City Corporation is regularly identifying hotspots and carrying out mosquito eradication operations there. At the same time, the organization is training anti-mosquito workers and anti-mosquito supervisors from the beginning of this month. Under this training program, the training of mosquito control personnel of Zones 1 to 6 has already been completed. In addition to taking theoretical training, the training program also imparts hands-on knowledge of mosquito breeding site identification and destroying and conducting insecticide application.
According to the concerned sources, training will be given to the anti-mosquito workers working in Zone7 and 8 on Monday.
DSCC Acting Chief Health Officer Dr. Fazle Shamsul Kabir said that 110 mosquito exterminators are working in DSCC to control mosquitoes. They’re regularly spraying medicines in morning and afternoon. For this DSCC is controlling mosquitoes in the area.
He said, with the aim of eliminating the source of Aedes mosquito, DSCC will soon start a week-long special crash program as they conduct always. This will continue until the mosquito population comes under control.
According to the two city sources of Dhaka, there are about 750 km of box culverts and covered drains in the city where the mosquito repellent cannot be implemented. Besides, those drains are filled with various garbage including plastic goods, polythene, can shells. The spaces among the buildings have become a garbage dump, due to which the water can’t flow through the drain. Culex is breeding horribly in these frozen waters. Authorities are not taking any steps to destroy mosquito breeding in these places. And plastic goods and can shells scattered everywhere in reservoirs, canals, drains and everywhere are causing mosquito breeding in the water. Due to these reasons, two cities spend enough money to kill mosquitoes, but the city dwellers have to bear the pestilence of mosquitoes.
@The report was published in Bengali on print and online versions of The Bangladesh Pratidin on March 12 and rewritten in English by Lutful Hoque
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