The Hindu 22.02.2010
Mosquito menace likely to last another month
Staff Reporter
| Intensifies in Aluva, Perumbavoor, Thripunithura |
Large marshy areas under Railways, Navy and Port Trust are breeding grounds for mosquitoes
Fogging operations started in August and drains were flushed using saline water
KOCHI: The menace of mosquitoes would continue in the city for at least one more month, according to health experts.
Though the civic authorities claimed that the anti-mosquito drive was implemented in an organised manner, the parasite menace has not receded in the city. The flushing of drains using saline water and fogging for destroying adult mosquitoes were carried out regularly, said Dr. C.G. Elizabeth, the Health Officer of the Kochi Corporation.
The breeding season of the mosquito usually starts in December. The warm days and chilly nights of the month provide the ideal breeding atmosphere for the insects. The population starts declining during the summer months and the larvae get completely destroyed in the monsoon showers, she explained.
According to the Health officer, a shift in the breeding season of mosquitoes was observed this year. Unlike the earlier years, the breeding season started a bit late this year. Hence, there is the possibility of delayed completion of its breeding cycle, she said.
The mosquito menace has intensified in the city suburbs namely Aluva, Perumbavoor and Thripunithura. It is also the case with most of the cities in the State, she said.
Even while undertaking measures for controlling the mosquito population, the tendency of dumping plastic bottles in drains and opening of toilets to drains were contributing to the proliferation of mosquito population, Dr. Elizabeth said.
The vacant holdings including marshy areas in possession of Southern Railways, Cochin Port Trust and Indian Navy have become the breeding grounds for mosquitoes. The Kochi Corporation has written to these agencies urging them to intensify the anti-mosquito operations in their respective areas. The cooperation of these agencies is also required for effectively controlling the population, she said.
The Corporation authorities claimed that they had initiated the anti-mosquito drive well in advance in the city. The fogging operations started in August and the drains were flushed using saline water as per the demands of the civic representatives, she said. As the operations began early this year, the health department ran short of larvicide. Orders have been placed for sufficient quantities of chemicals used in mosquito control operations in the coming weeks, the Health officer said.
The leaking septic tanks of households were also providing breeding ground for mosquitoes. The civic authorities had earlier initiated steps for covering the air pipes of toilets and plugging the leaks.
