With the advent of seasonal rains, the local bodies are again confronted with the problem of unoccupied plots turning breeding ground of vectors, even as residents increasingly express concern over a potential outbreak of diseases, including dengue.
Lack of maintenance of vacant plots in residential areas, has resulted in growth of thick vegetation and accumulation of waste including plastic cups, making the unoccupied lands perfect breeding grounds for mosquitoes. Kannagadasan, who runs a mechanic shop in Krishna Nagar, 14th Cross, said there are several ill-maintained plots in the area. “Certain plots are not cleaned for several years. Whenever it rains, water gets stagnated and the area is filled with rodents. Residents find it difficult to bear the mosquito bites in the evening hours,”’ he said.
Grappling to find a solution, the authorities of Puducherry and Oulgaret municipalities have been issuing advisories asking owners of unoccupied plots to maintain their property well.
“We have found some success in identifying owners of certain plots and carrying out cleaning exercises. In around 1,000 cases we have served notice on the owners for not maintaining the property but in large number of cases we are not able to trace or locate the owners. With limited resources, we are not able to clean the vacant plots on our own. The owners should take it as their responsibility to keep their property clean,” Commissioner of Pondicherry Municipality S. Sivakumar told The Hindu.
Commissioner of Oulgaret Municipality said the civic body has identified around 8,000 vacant plots under its limits. Notices have been served to owners of around 650 plots and fines imposed to the tune of around ₹1.57 lakh.
“We are not able to identify the owners of many of these plots and are now seeking the assistance of revenue officials to track them down. The owners of a number of plots are settled abroad and could be holding the land as an investment. Whenever we receive complaints about over growth of vegetation and problems arising out of waterlogging, we are attending to it. The workers are facing difficulty in gaining access to certain properties with boundary walls,” he said.
An official in the Health department said the vacant plots are suitable grounds for mosquitoes to breed. On an average, the region was recording 10 to 15 cases of dengue per day, in the last three months. Last month alone, 452 cases of dengue and 11 cases of chikungunya were reported in Puducherry. Till November 20, various health centres have registered 264 cases of dengue and three cases of chikungunya.
Conservator of Forests Vanjulavalli Sridhar said the department received a number of complaints about overgrown trees causing disturbance to neighbours. “It is not just breeding ground for mosquitoes, the vacant plots with debris and waste are also conducive spots for snakes. In the recent times, we have caught cobra, Russell’s Viper and kraits from residential areas in the heart of the town,” she said.
