And indirectly, said the Commissioner, recession is to be blamed for the rise in the mosquito population.

His explanation went like this: Construction activity in the city has slowed down because of recession.

And incomplete buildings which are mostly damp and waterlogged have become major breeding places for mosquitoes.

The late monsoon is also another cause, Singh told the Minister.

Builders have been asked to ensure that there is no water stagnation at construction sites. If there is any, it should be drained out immediately.

Anti-larval measures like spraying of Baytex (Larvicide) should be taken up by builders.

If the builders cannot take these preventive steps, the GHMC would take up the work. The expenditure incurred for the material and services would be recovered from the builders.

Nagender pointed out that garbage was piling up at different places in the city. He directed Singh to ask GHMC staffers to prevent accumulation of garbage at any point of time. The Health Minister also asked the Commissioner to intensify fogging operations to control the mosquito menace.