Chennai: The
corporation once again failed to meet the September deadline for
distributing mosquito nets to slum-dwellers and the underprivileged in
the city, but highly placed sources said the work would begin in 10
days.

The civic body in its council meet on February 2013
announced that residents along water bodies and slums would be provided
with free mosquito nets. But the scheme had been dragging feet for last
few months. 

“Three contractors have applied for the tenders and
the distribution work will commence in another 10 days,” said a highly
placed official at the corporation. “A net will  cost around Rs 550 and
residents along Cooum river will be primary beneficiaries,” the official
added.

However a field level corporation official at the
Royapuram zone said they were  yet to get any intimations from the
corporation about the scheme. “We have not received any official
instruction from the civic body and once we receive it we will start
identifying the beneficiaries,” he said.

The scheme will benefit
around 78,000 residents in the first phase and will aim to reach up to
five lakh beneficiaries. “Mos­quito menace in our area is  prevalent
even during day time. We cannot sit inside the net all throughout the
day,” said V. Sasi Kumar, a resident of Srin­ivasa Nagar slum at
Fore­shore estate. “So curbing mosquito breeding will be a permanent
solution,” he added.

“This scheme will  benefit us to a larger
extent even though the mosquito problem has reduced in our area,” said
K. Bharati, a resident of Nochi Kuppam.