The Corporation has deputed its conservancy workers and engaged a few contract workers to conduct a special drive, which involves door-to-door destruction of mosquito breeding sources like emptying water storage containers, destroying coconut shells and cleaning unused tyres, use of chemicals that prevent mosquito breeding and education of residents on how to control mosquito breeding.
But sources in the health wing of the Corporation say that it is only an ad hoc measure and that what ought to be done regularly to control and eradicate mosquitoes is not being done because of staff shortage.
Until recently, the Corporation had field assistants and supervisors who exclusively carried on the mosquito control work. But in their absence because of retirement and replacements, the burden of the task fell on conservancy workers, sanitary inspectors and supervisors, who began doing the job after attending to solid waste management work, cleaning roads and then drains.
The sources admit that the workers are able to meet only 50 per cent of their target.
Sources put the required human resource at more than 1,000.
