Nellore: Programme launched to check mosquito menace

Nellore: Waterlogged endowment lands, located in low lying areas, have become a major hurdle for containing mosquito menace in the urban areas of the state.  In most cases, the temples owning the lands are neither in a position to protect the sites or mobilise funds to raise the land-level to prevent waterlogging.  

Against this backdrop, Swachh Andhra mission has launched a pilot programme in Nellore to raise the height of all such lands to prevent water logging.

The mission is also installing CCTVs, with face recognition facility, on the lands to keep a tab on the activities on the land to prevent encroachments. Output from the CCTV Cameras will be connected to monitors in the nearby police station, Command Control Centre of Nellore Civic body as well as the Command Control Centre at the Secretariat in Amaravati.  In addition to this, land-level of all the vacant plots in the city is also being raised to prevent water logging and breeding of mosquitoes since the owners are ignoring their appeals to take up the work.

In addition to this, water hyacinth plants, that are growing uncontrollably in the water bodies is also being removed through chemical treatment as they block water flow and provide comfortable breeding ground for mosquitoes.

Plants of similar nature, that are responsible for increasing number of patients with respiratory problems, are also being removed in all parts of the town.  

Speaking to Deccan Chronicle, executive vice chairman of Swachh Andhra mission Dr. C.L. Venkat Rao said that they have earmarked '50 crores for the exercise at the instance of Urban Development Minister P. Narayana.

He said that they are building sheds for pigs at Amamcharla, in the outskirts of the city, and the pig rearers have agreed to shift them to sheds after minister P. Narayana counselled them.

In addition to this, Nellore civic body has inked a pact with Jain Trust to take care of stray cattle, dogs and other animals roaming on the roads. The garbage from the vegetable market is being shifted to a yard on the outskirts of the town to produce bio-fertilisers, Dr. Venkat Rao said.

He said that they are using Nellore as a testing ground for all the reforms and initiatives related to urban development and the successful among them will be introduced in all the civic bodies across the state.