Hyderabad: Mosquito menace on rise

Hyderabad: Even as the city is confronting dengue cases, it is in the grip of yet another health hazard-rise of mosquito menace.

Residents across the city, including those staying in prime localities like Banjara Hills and Marredpally, are flooding Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) with innumerable complaints over an abysmal fogging activity. However, officials claim that they have intensified fogging activities in a few areas, although they may not cover every locality given the acute staff crunch.

Though the civic body has procured 60 vehicle-mounted fogging machines and 305 potable machines, all of them could not be operated due to dearth of manpower. However, they assured to bring the issue to the notice of the higher authorities.

Local resident Mr Sridhar Yarlagadda lamented that the road behind Inorbit Mall that is opposite to Durgam Cheruvu is infested with mosquito menace.

He said that though numerous complaints were lodged with the civic body, officials were yet to turn up to either address or resolve the health hazard.

Mr Ray, of Banjara Hills Road No 13, says, “I lodged my grievance against the menace that prevails in our area on November 5 through MYGHMC App (complaint number 51119583900). Mosquitoes are killing us. As an immediate solace, the authorities can at least take up fogging operations.”

Echoing similar sentiments, Mr P. V Subrahmanyam of Kapra said that for the last one month, sewer water has been entering the nearby lake and it has become a breeding place for mosquitoes.

“We urge the GHMC to initiate necessary action lest we are faced with a dengue death,” he added.

“Since June we are facing road and drainage issues in Virasat Nagar Colony, Tolichowki. Officials do not respond to our calls,” says Nadeem Rehman. The menace has increased in areas adjacent to Musi and others water bodies. Residents living in Tarnaka, Nacharam, Marredpally, DD Colony, Amberpet, Kapra and Old Bowenpally were among the worst affected. Admitting this alarming rise, an official claimed that the mosquitoes menace was not deadly because most were nuisance creators like culex, mansonia, armigeres, aedes aegypti and anopheles. Giving a break-up, the official pointed out 60 per cent of were Culex, Mansonia (20 per cent), Armigeres (10), with a aedes aegypti and anopheles accounting for five per cent each. Noen of them spreads disease, he said.

Chief entomologist Dr A. Rambabu said complaints have been pouring in and GHMC has been addressing them on a priority basis.