Mosquito menace returns to Ctg

As summer approaches, mosquitoes are becoming quite the headache for port city dwellers.

In many areas across the city, mosquitoes descend upon neighbourhoods every day after sunset. But these days, even during daytime, their numbers are so high that people are finding it hard to stay home.

Under normal circumstances, this would be less of a problem. But what makes this more problematic is the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and the lockdown strategy implemented to fight it.

"I cannot read in the evening as swarms of mosquitoes keep preying on me," said Shuvescha Ghosh, a resident of the city's Rahattar Pool area, adding, "I have tried aerosol, vapourisers and mosquito racket, but nothing seems to work."

 Shuvescha said her family has been suffering from this for over a month. "The nuisance started at the end of February," she said. "I honestly don't know what the city corporation is doing [to contain the situation]."

Ratna Raha, a retired schoolteacher from Jamal Khan area, said her family finds it hard to stay at home even during daytime due to incessant mosquito bites.

"We have given up after trying out every kind of mosquito repellent," she said. "Dengue season is almost upon us and we don't know what's going to happen."

Abdul Aziz, a resident of Panchlaish Residential Area, said, "It's a well-known fact that mosquitoes lay eggs on trapped water, which can be found in sewers and around garbage dumps, but we do not see any initiative from Chattogram City Corporation (CCC) to clean them up."

"CCC officials should regularly clean the drains and canals and spray medicine to destroy mosquito larvae and eggs," he said.

When the government has urged people to stay at home to prevent contamination of Covid-19, residents in the city cannot do so in peace due to mosquito nuisance, said many residents.

"The mayor urged officials to start spraying anti-mosquito medicine in the city at the end of March," Asad Haider, a resident of Bibir Hat area, said, adding, "but we have not seen any CCC staff come to our area to do that. The anti-mosquito drive should have started much earlier. Had CCC started it from mid-February, we would've been more at ease now."

In addition to all of this, as drainage works across the city are halted due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the number of mosquitoes is likely to increase.

"It is the season of dengue. If dengue outbreak starts together with the coronavirus, we will have to face a massive fatal situation," said Dr Manzoorul Kibria, professor of Zoology Department of Chittagong University. He urged CCC to strengthen their anti-mosquito drives by manifolds this year.

Contacted, Mohammad Shumsuddauha, chief executive officer of CCC, said anti mosquito medicine is being sprayed in every ward of CCC every day.

"Two workers in each ward have been engaged to spray larviside daily. However, currently we are not spraying the smoke, which may give people the impression that we are not conducting the drives. A total of 82 teams are working across the city," he said.

Asked why residents are still suffering, he said the city dwellers also have a responsibility to keep their surroundings clean and destroy mosquito breeding grounds.

"We will strengthen our drive but the residents will also have to step up in this regard. They must keep their yards and surroundings clean," the CEO said.