The Hindu 12.06.2013
Rains are here, mosquitoes loom
The intermittent showers of the past couple of days
might have brought cheer to residents. However, the stagnant pools of
water in and around residential areas are a grim reminder that a horde
of mosquitoes could soon descend on residents.
“Already,
there are small pools in my area. Water has been stagnant for last two
to three days,” said Siva, a resident of Vyasarpadi. A similar situation
prevailed in areas across the city and residents such as Abdul Haleem
of Pensioners Lane in Mint expressed the hope that “mosquito control
measures will be initiated as early as possible to prevent mosquito
breeding.”
Chennai Corporation officials said that
routine anti-larval spraying on water bodies and drains and periodical
fogging was being taken up. “We have initiated a major programme to
remove all the garbage and weeds from water bodies including those
belonging to the PWD. If you compare the situation with that of last
year, there is a substantial decrease in the density of mosquitoes and
larva,” said a source.
Officials of the Directorate
of Public Health said mid-term action plan has been prepared in each
district. “The plan encompasses monitoring various aspects such as
disease surveillance at all primary health centres, government hospitals
and medical colleges and private nursing homes and monitoring of
mosquito density,” an official said.
The department
will prioritize areas, which were affected last year, and identify hot
spots within the areas. “This way, we will tighten the surveillance net
and create awareness among the public of vector-borne diseases,” he
added.
There is adequate stock of larvicide to carry out control measures, said.