At a time when the official machinery is going all out to contain dengue fever, Tiruchi residents have raised concern over the efficiency of destroying mosquito breeding sites in the government buildings and on the premises.
It is said that the Aedes mosquito that spreads dengue virus requires just one teaspoon of water to lay its eggs and for the larvae to grow into an adult mosquito. It breeds in any place, where clean standing water is available.
Tyres, barrels, plastic drums, jerry cans, coconut shells, plastic tea cups, abandoned containers of various forms, fridge trays, uncovered buckets and water containers and others are said to be the main breeding grounds for Aedes mosquito breeding.
The breeding grounds are not found just in residential quarters, flats and individual houses, but also in public buildings, commercial complexes, industrial sites and others.
Source reduction has been the core theme of anti-dengue campaign of the State government since the outbreak of dengue cases in September.
As part of the drive, officials, sanitary workers and volunteers are visiting streets and houses so as to create awareness on destroying mosquito breeding sources by the residents.
As far as Tiruchi Corporation is concerned, it has so far collected fine to the tune of more than ₹1.5 lakh from various residents, commercial houses and builders for failing to destroy dengue spreading mosquito breeding sources on their premises.
However, residents complain that the officials have failed to follow the same approach on public buildings including offices of various departments, police stations, schools and colleges. Though the State government had asked the heads of various departments to carry out source reduction drive on their respective premises by involving employees at least once a week, residents allege that it has not been taken seriously.
Pointing out to a heap of materials including wreckage of an abandoned vehicle on the backside of Tiruchi Corporation building, a civic activist said several containers that could store rain water, had been lying for long. “These have not attracted the attention of officials”, he said.
H. Ghouse Baig, a civic activist, said that the drive was not being implemented in letter and spirit in most of the government buildings and premises. Several offices including police stations had dumped seized items and vehicles.
They could be potential source for mosquito breeding. Sincere attempts must be made to destroy mosquito breeding grounds on the official premises, he added.
