People in the capital are plagued by mosquitoes

❐ Staff Reporter

The city dwellers are suffering from the terrible mosquito infestation across the capital. Even if they somehow pass the time during the day, the mosquitoes start attacking in swarms as soon as evening falls. This is disrupting normal life, business and sleep. There is panic about dengue.

Mizanur Rahman, a tong shopkeeper in the Tejkunipara area, said, “We have to sit all day due to the pain of mosquitoes. In the evening, mosquitoes jump on our hands and feet. It becomes difficult to do business sitting in the shop.”

He said that he always keeps two coils lit on both sides of the tongs, but even then the mosquitoes do not decrease.

Not only in Tezkunipara, the same situation is in almost all areas of the capital.

A lawyer, fed up with the violence of mosquitoes, recently sent a legal notice to the secretary of the Ministry of Local Government and the CEO of Dhaka North City Corporation.

There are allegations that despite the increase in mosquito infestation over the past few months, the responsible agencies have not taken effective measures. Although pesticides were sprayed occasionally, the amount was very less than required.

Experts say that the reason for the increase in mosquitoes is that due to the lack of rain for a long time, water has accumulated in drains, box-culverts and various reservoirs. Due to the lack of water flow, these places have become ideal environments for mosquito breeding. In addition, the increase in temperature after the end of winter is one of the reasons for the increase in mosquitoes. There are also allegations that mosquito control activities have not been carried out properly.

Residents of different areas of the capital have also made the same complaint.

Ashok De, a resident of Rampura area, said, “There are so many mosquitoes around our house that it has become difficult to survive. Even electric mosquito repellent devices are not available in the market.”

Nusrat Fatema, a resident of Moghbazar, said that although the city corporation occasionally carries out fogging, it is not regular and no permanent results are being achieved.

Sources said that due to the long-term weak supervision of mosquito control activities, the work of cleaning drains, removing waste from canals and applying chemicals to water bodies has not been done regularly. As a result, a favorable environment has been created for the breeding of mosquitoes.

Although the two city corporations have recently started various activities including a crush program, the city residents are still not getting relief from the pain of mosquitoes. The city residents claim that the situation may become worse if regular and effective mosquito control activities are not carried out.