Baby ponds turn mosquito breeding hubs
Hyderabad: The artificial ponds dug in the city for idol immersion, called baby ponds, have not only become an eye sore for public, they have also become a breeding ground for mosquitoes.
The baby ponds near Hussain Sagar and Durgam Cheruvu are two such examples. People living near these ponds fear an outbreak of vector borne diseases.
“The unclean water has resulted in an increase of mosquito population. We fear outbreak of dengue, malaria and other diseases due to these unclean ponds,” said Banjara Balu, a worker at a nursery near the artificial pond close to Hussain Sagar.
Another person at the lake complained about the rancid smell that they are forced to endure. The GHMC officials passed the buck to the Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA) who had dug these artificial ponds.
“We work during Ganesh Chaturthi. We clean, paint and repair and prepare the pond for the idol immersion and collaborate with the Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA) and Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (HMWSSB). Once the festival is over, the baby ponds will be under the control of HMDA,” said D Jagan, GHMC deputy commissioner of Khairatabad.
GHMC chief entomologist Ram Babu told Deccan Chronicle that GHMC is taking all precautions for effective surveillance and control of mosquito breeding and spread of vector borne diseases.
“We are conducting anti larval operations (ALO) in all chronic breeding sources like construction sites, schools, function halls, cellars, open plots. We are also taking up measures to curb the rise in adult mosquito population with special focus on all dengue identified areas,” he said.