A Coimbatore Corporation conservancy worker in a mask and gloves goes about spraying pesticides to control fly menace on Chettipalayam Road.
He has been doing this for a month now ever since the civic body decided to control flies from the Vellalore dump yard that invade the residential colonies. Within minutes of the spraying the flies drop down dead.
Not too far from here, S. Anita, a resident of N.G. Ramasamy Street, Vellalore gets ready to grind batter. She does so, all the while waving around a hand held fan. Minus the fan, the flies will swarm around the grinder. Her plight is shared by P. Sudha of Valluvar Street in Konavaikalpalayam and hundreds of others who live around Vellalore. No food container can be left open even for a minute. Ms. Sudha says that there has been no let up in the flies though the Corporation may claim otherwise.
The civic body launched the programme after Mayor P. Rajkumar along with senior officials visited the dump yard, studied the situation and implemented measures to address residents’ grievance about the fly menace.
Soon thereafter, the civic body purchased 900 kg of a pesticide to be used in Vellalore and areas near markets.
A civic body officer says that the conservancy workers spray the pesticide once every three days and its effect lasts for two to three days. And, the menace has reduced, he adds. But residents in the area say there has been no discernible change.
But, it is not just about the flies. K.S. Mohan of Vellalore-Kurchi Residents’ Welfare Association worries about the impact on the health of the people as the flies sprayed with the pesticides could land on food items.
Cautionary note
He says there is a cautionary note on the pesticide packet and wants the Corporation to clarify the matter.
The civic body officer on his part says that it is a general warning that is on all pesticides and that the Corporation has factored it in before recommending its use. In fact, it has also obtained a certificate from a toxicology lab before using the pesticide.
