Residents of various localities in the city are reporting an increase in the number of mosquitoes with the onset of summer. Experts say seasonal change apart, poor solid waste management and puddles of stagnant water in public spaces have been triggers for the problem.
Koramangala, Hennur, CV Raman Nagar, Vinayak Layout are among the places where residents have been raising complaints with local civic officials.
Aravinda Badrinath, a resident of Vinayak Layout, said the problem has increased over the last few weeks. The BBMP officials have not been responsive to requests to take up fogging in the locality, he added. “Day before yesterday, I spoke to the officials concerned. They assured me that they would come, but they haven’t,” he said.
Nandakumar, a resident of JP Nagar said: “There is an open storm water drain nearby from where the mosquitoes emerge. However, we hardly see the municipality taking up fogging in the locality,” he said.
‘Fogging won’t help’
Experts believe fogging is not a solution and the problem has to be dealt with at its source: stagnant water. M.N. Lokesh, Chief Health Officer (Public Health) said fogging frequently was not advisable. “Residents have to make sure that there is no stagnant water in their surroundings,” he said.
Gutters, potholes, drains and unused water containers are major breeding grounds, experts point out. Dr. Prakash Kumar, Deputy Director, vector borne disease control officer, Karnataka, says the civic body needs to implement the existing norms in an effective manner. “In Bengaluru, we find only the aedes mosquito causing dengue. These mosquitoes breed indoors and hence fogging in public places is not a solution,” he said.
“The BBMP should enforce civic bylaws that require construction sites to be mosquito free. This is the building owner’s responsibility. Property owners, who do not abide by these regulations, should be penalised.”
