Chennai Corporation has been taking several steps including disilting
the water bodies, removal of unused materials and cleaning the storm
water drainage channels to curb mosquito menace in the city. Over 3,000
staff have been roped in for the operations.
Drainage mixed water
channels, storm water drainage are the main source for breeding Culex
mosquitoes. To destroy Culex mosquitoes, the Corporation had desilted
the main water bodies in the city including Adyar river and Cooum River
to a tune of `6.8 crore during the month of April.
An overgrowth
of bushes on either side of the water bodies and water hyacinth were
also removed to pave way for free flow of water.
To destroy larvae
in the storm water drains and open drains, the Corporation staff are
using hand fogging machines in the day time. As many as 62 fogging
vehicles are pressed into service during the evening hours.
A
special fogging camp have been conducted in all the 200 zones
simultaneously every Tuesday between 5 am and 7 am and Thursdays between
6 pm and 8 pm through 72 rented autos.
To destroy the Anopheles
and Aedes mosquitoes, which are spreading Malaria, the Corporation are
treating 83,126 overhead tanks, 51,204 wells, 13,622 ground level tanks
with antiseptic agents.
The Corporation has planned to distribute five lakh mosquito nets to residents living closer to waterbodies.
