Although the monsoon is yet to set in, Bangaloreans are already facing the onslaught of mosquitoes.
While there is no outbreak of any vector-borne diseases so far, residents, especially those in the newly-added areas, are forced to keep their doors and windows shut even during daytime.
Those living in of Ullal near Kengeri, Mangamannapalya, Hongasandra, Mico Layout and HSR Layout in Bommanahalli and Allalsandra in Yelahanka, told The Hindu the mosquitoes drove them crazy during morning and evening hours.
Swarm attack
“The moment we open the door in the morning, a swarm enters my house. Fearing this, we keep the doors and windows shut even during the day. The problem has worsened in the last two months,” said C. Mutthamma, a resident of Vinayaka Layout near Ullal.
Satyavelu and Prakash Naik, residents of Mangamannapalya and Allalsandra respectively, said mosquito repellents were useless.
“It is so humid these days and it turns oppressive when doors need to be shut all the time. And when we open the doors, mosquitoes bite us,” Mr. Naik said.
No action
Lakshman Kumar, secretary, Mico Layout Residents' Welfare Association, accused the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) of inaction.
“Whenever we call up and request fogging, the jurisdictional officers fob us off with some excuse or the other: either the fogging machine is under repair or there is no diesel to run it. If the problem is not controlled now, we are afraid it will soon result in some outbreak,” he said.
A senior BBMP official, part of the National Vector-borne Disease Control Programme, attributed the problem to the heat and change in climatic conditions.
“The high temperature during summer is conducive to for mosquito breeding; but these insects have only nuisance value. They are not fresh water mosquitoes that cause dengue or chikungunya,” he explained.
Stagnant pools
Claiming that the palike was regularly spraying chemicals in all breeding areas, the official said: “There are several spots that are not accessible. With several lakes drying up, water gets stagnated in small ponds where mosquitoes easily breed.”
He clarified that fogging is needed only if there is an outbreak of vector-borne diseases.
But residents refuse to buy this. “It looks as though mosquito control is not a priority for BBMP officials. It is unfortunate that the BBMP does not have a scientific approach to tackle it,” said Mr. Lakshman Kumar.
