“In the absence of bins, people tend to throw waste on the footpath... Our pourakarmikas cannot clean up the place as and when the waste accumulates. This needs to be looked after by the shopkeepers. We have in fact fined a few shops for not keeping waste bins,” said MCC Commissioner G. Jagadeesha.

He told The Hindu that the MCC would be forced to withdraw the trade licence of such establishments and take suo motu action against them.

Mosquitoes also transmit dengue, lymphatic filariasis, chikungunya and Japanese encephalitis.

This highlights the importance of control and elimination of mosquitoes.

The malaria staff of the Public Health Department of the Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) has taken up fogging in various areas of the city where malaria cases have been reported.

Spraying of oil balls and larvicides was done in 849 identified places to kill the moquioto larvae.

The staff members also educated residents of various slums on the need to keep their surroundings clean and to allow water stagnation, according to A. Hemanth, Chief Medical Officer of GVMC.

It is high time people also realised their responsibility of ensuring there was no water stagnation around their homes.

The water storage containers should be properly covered.

The waste water which collects in the tray behind the refrigerator, the water from the Air Condition outdoor unit and other sources should be regularly emptied at least once a week to prevent the breeding of mosquitoes.