Hyacinth filled tanks, ponds and storm water drains along with large swathes of areas outside the jurisdiction of GHMC has become mosquito production centres. Besides, appropriate chemicals are not available to control mosquito breeding in polluted water bodies dotting the twin cities, senior officials explain.
The entomology wing has been pressing manual labour to remove the hyacinth in some of the water bodies under the jurisdiction of the municipal corporation. In fact, senior officials have informed the High Court that while 49 water bodies have been kept free of water hyacinth, there were 40 more tanks/ponds filled with it.
Lack of specialised equipment to remove it has been a big hindrance as there were several sites where it was impossible for labour to clean. Trial runs were on for de-weeding with a small weed cutter and if the functioning is found to be viable the operations are to be taken up everywhere with greater efficiency, say senior officials.
But, there are several other tanks owned by other departments and anti-larval or mosquito control measures are not being taken up in these places as it was decided that such work would be done on payment basis. Empty coconut shells and grinder stones are other potential mosquito breeding zones proving to be a challenge to the municipal authorities. Gambusia fish in fresh waters and Guppy fish in less polluted waters are being introduced in abundance as part of the anti-larval measures and new measures being tried out are use of biopesticide (Bacillus thuringiensis) on the larvae other than pyrosene oil, aver senior officials. They also claim that the surveillance, information and response analysis for disease prevention and mosquito control, off-site real time monitoring and community participation has helped identify ‘hot spots' to take up effective steps. Nine dengue prone localities and 22 malaria prone areas have been narrowed down for intensive mosquito control operations.
At the same time, it is accepted that there are issues of low efficiency of staff, inadequate technical skills and inability to cover 100 per cent households each week.
Choked drains and debris are a big handicap but the major issue, however, are the 61 islands' where the anti-mosquito drive is not taken up.
