The mosquito menace maybe rampant across the city, but in Mylapore it is relatively recent. The waterways mixed with untreated sewerage, garbage and other wastes are the foremost cause. Long-time residents such as Dr. R. Madhavan speak of a Mylapore which might have dealt with other civic issues but was a place where mosquitoes were quite hard to find.
“Some 50 years ago, the waterways were a reason why no mosquitoes could breed in this part of the city. Today, they have become the prime cause. Back then, the Adyar River mouth allowed sea water to flow into the canals during high tide. As mosquitoes cannot breed in salt water the area remained free of the menace.
But, now the waterways are clogged due to all kinds of wastes dumped into them.
Moreover, the Adyar River mouth has turned into a sand bank disallowing sea water to ingress,” says Dr. Madhavan, adding that there a great amount of illnesses is caused by this problem.
His 33-bed Shri Ranga Hospital sees a number of dengue and malaria cases every year.
“We have five patients admitted with dengue right now. Most of the affected are those living closest to the waterways and belong to the marginalised section.”
Ezhumalai owns a battery shop on Kalvi Varu Street, next to which runs the Buckingham canal. He says the mosquito problem increases two-fold when it rains. Poor families living alongside the canal have many falling ill due to vector-borne diseases, he adds.
Development work has also augured ill for the waterways.
“The MRTS work has damaged the waterways, and I doubt if it can be redeemed completely. Construction waste has been dumped into the canal and not cleaned.
Pools of water stagnate next to the station making it a breeding ground for mosquitoes, says Dr. Madhavan.
He quips that “we doctors survive on simple illnesses that must not be there.
A little effort from the government can reduce the occurrence of victor-borne diseases.”
As a solution, he suggests de-silting waterways to allow free flow of water.
Next, on a trial basis, sea water could be pumped into the waterways which will flush out the mosquitoes.
“Whenever developmental work takes place an independent body with enough local representation must be appointed to overlook and supervise it,” add Dr. Madhavan, who has a keen interest in environmental issues.
