MADURAI: It is proving to be tough task for the Madurai City Corporation (MCC) that attempted to remove water hyacinths from Vaigai river in one day after public activists ventured into the river to do it by themselves due to mosquito menace. Various factors, mosquitoes being one, are making it the job difficult for the civic body though the officials confirmed that they will complete it in a fortnight.

MCC started weeding out water hyacinths from the river from last Tuesday after people from the riverbed areas, particularly Ismailpuram, led by Madurai South MLA R Annadurai tried to address the never-ending mosquito menace. Water hyacinths in the river were found to be one breeding ground within the city for the mosquitoes. Residents affected by mosquito onslaught felt self-help is the best course of action as no effective action was forthcoming from the civic body.

As public began clearing the hyacinths clogging the Vaigai, the corporation officials decided to be active in the war against mosquitoes. Initially, civic officials felt the hyacinths could be cleared in a day's time. But the task may take more than 15 days, officials said.

The civic body has deployed one earth mover and a team of 10 to 20 sanitary workers for declogging the Vaigai.

Along with many problems like deploying men and machinery, the determined mosquitoes are not ready to give away their favourite grounds. The operator of earth mover has to ward off mosquitoes while woking. "The swarming of mosquito is unbearable and we get allergic to the stagnant water which is more of sewage," commented a sanitary worker who did not want to be quoted.

Official sources from the city corporation said that the civic body took the task out of its own interest though it the task belonged to the Public Works Department. "Corporation took up the work after the mosquito menace became intolerable near the riverbeds. But what looked like a one day work keeps prolonging days together. The earth mover develops technical snags due to swampy terrain in the river and works had to proceed at slower pace due to mosquitoes," a senior official from the corporation said.

MLA, R Annadurai said that the task was not easy as thought. "Even we were not able to bear the mosquitoes when we tried to clean and corporation officials said that the workers are to be given special type of uniforms to protect themselves from the mosquito bites," he said.

Corporation Commissioner R Nanthagopal said that the work was challenging as they had to use both men and machinery in a systematic manner. "We can't use the machinery more in swampy terrain and manual force had to be used for cleaning. The workers are given masks, gloves and boots and they are asked to wear them, but they don't adhere to our instructions," he said. "We will ensure that the works are completed by all means and the water hyacinths will be completely removed from the river in city areas," he said.