Warangal: Even with almost the entire town suffering from viral fevers, officials of the Mahbubabad municipality have so far taken no steps to curb the spread of mosquitoes, nor did they conduct any awareness programs to avoid seasonal diseases.
Protesting against the situation, environmentalist Md. Saleema walked right into a knee-deep pool of dirty water accumulated in an vacant plot near the bus station and stood their holding a placard which says ‘Municipal Chairperson garu vidhulu nirvahinchandi’ (municipal chairperson madam, please do your duty).
“Almost all households in the town have at least one person suffering from fever. The hospitals are full of patients suffering from seasonal diseases but the municipality officials have failed to take up any measures like spraying mosquito repellents, fogging or conducting medical camps to create awareness among the public,” Ms Saleema, who is herself suffering from fever, said.
She pointed out that municipal chairperson B. Uma Murali Naik, who is a doctor by profession, is nowhere available as she is busy running after party functionaries, being one of the aspirants for the Mahbubabad Assembly ticket.
Ms Saleema said that there are several vacant plots across the town where water has accumulated and is serving as breeding ground for the mosquitoes. This is the main cause of the spread of diseases, she said. “The officials must fill all the vacant plots in colonies or send notices to the owners to keep them dry. Maintaining hygienic surroundings is the first step towards driving away diseases,” Ms Saleema said.
The municipal sanitary officials did respond to Ms Saleema’s protest and filled the vacant plot with gravel. However, she contends that there are many such places and the lack of spraying mosquito repellents is still a cause of concern among the residents.
