Mosquito is a name of little evil for the city dwellers living in Dhaka. It is becoming very dangerous for the people day by day because of the lack of anti mosquito drive by City corporation.
The Dhaka City Corporation, however, is going to launch a special anti-mosquito drive in the next week as the last one was less effective, said a corporation official.
The city corporation’s chief health officer, Brigadier General Mohammad Nasir Uddin, told New Age on Wednesday that the city dwellers were experiencing an increased spate of mosquito menace as drive could not be conducted because of inadequate supply of insecticides.
City dwellers from different areas such as Dhanmondi, Mirpur, Rampura, Banasree Jatrabari, Banani, Dhaka University area, Hatirpul, Tejgaon, have complained about increased swarms of mosquitoes.
Mohammad Nasir Uddin said the last ‘crash programme’, from December 7 to 17 in 10 zones of the corporation, was not effective as the supply of insecticides was not sufficient.
He said the supplier, who got tender after applying to the corporation, has to bring insecticides from aboard as they are not locally produced.
‘These suppliers bring insecticides by ships considering the carrying cost but it takes time,’ he said, explaining, ‘you know water-way is less expensive than other ways to import something.’
The chief health officer said water-way was a lengthy journey and the clearance process of ships was also lengthy.
‘Actually they always think of their own business benefits, not of the people,’ he alleged.
He said they would get sufficient insecticides within the next two days from the supplier and the health department have to wait for the approval of the chief executive, local test result and laboratory test of the insecticides to start the programme.
‘I hope we will go for the crash programme for another ten days,’ he said and added, ‘I know mosquitoes are increasing and the problem will be more acute during the summer.’
Sobhan Rahman, a resident of Tejgaon industrial area, said the mosquitoes were vexing him not only at night but also during the day time.
‘Even you will find it difficult to work at your computer because of the mosquitoes,’ he said.
Mirpur section-10’s resident Shopna banshali urged the corporation to start the anti-mosquito drive immediately as the mosquitoes were irritating them a lot.
‘It is really difficult to combat these little devils,’ she said.
