GHMC fails to swat mosquito menace

Hyderabad: The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) has managed to clear hyacinth from around 20 lakes and water tanks out of the total 81 identified this year. The presence of hyacinth in the lake had caused massive mosquito menace near the lakes. Residents claimed that the entomology department staff has been registering fake signatures of residents regarding fogging operations which were actually not done at the ground-level.

Sharing his experience, T. Yadgiri, a resident of Nacharam, said that mosquito menace has been a 365-day problem in the area. He that the GHMC entomology staff had been registering fake signatures without performing fogging and anti-larval operations. 

“Since a month, the mosquito menace had become unbearable and we could not step out of our houses. No fogging operation was conducted since a year,” he said.

Echoing her concerns, N. Bhagyalakshmi, a resident of Ramantapur, said that the corporation had been conducting anti-larval operations once in a week but not fogging operations. She said it had become impossible to step outside home after 6 pm.

“The mosquito menace has intensified especially this year and the corporation officials had been turning a blind eye towards the issue. If the same situation prevails, monsoon will be a nightmare and dengue fevers would be a common disease in the neighbourhood,” she said.

When queried about this, a senior official said that the polluted lakes and tanks were breeding sites for the mosquitoes. He said that the corporation has been doing its best by clearing hyacinth and performing fogging operations on a regular basis. When asked about the delay in clearing the hyacinth, he refused to comment on the issue.

According to the official data, the corporation had identified as many as 14 lakes which have grass and hyacinth in the north zone, 34 in the west zone, eight in the central zone, 10 in the south zone and 15 in the east zone. 

Out of the total areas identified since a year, the corporation has managed to clear hyacinth in Chinna Cheruvu in Ramantapur, Huda Park in Golkonda,  Kotha Cheruvu in Shaikpet, Khaidamma Cheruvu in Hafeezpet, Reque Kunta in Chandanagar, Patel Kunta in Miyapur among others.

Civic body intensifies fogging operation

The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) officials claimed that they had adopted sophisticated methods to fight mosquito menace. Besides fogging operations, they have been spraying herbicides through which mosquito menace can be eradicated permanently.  

According to  V. Venkatesh, chief entomologist of the GHMC, the corporation embarked on de-weeding of tanks and hyacinth from around 20 tanks were removed already. He said the corporation has started a special drive along the Musi river, from Langer Houz to the High Court where 220 staff from the entomology department have been deputed to clear the hedges on the banks and to spray herbicides. Venkatesh said that this has been conducted in 10 tanks across the city.

The GHMC chief entomologist further added that the corporation has intensified fogging operations with 140 potable and 10 vehicle-mounted fogging machines. He said that the corporation is planning to depute another 50 machines to fight the mosquito menace in the city. 

He said that these mosquitoes include 60 per cent Culex, 20 per cent Mansonia , 10 per cent Armigeres, 5 per cent Aedes aegypti and 5 per cent Anopheles which are also called nuisance mosquitoes. 

He also said that the corporation has geared up the monsoon action which will begin soon.