Mosquitoes droning as usual

Officials at Dhaka City Corporation (DCC) are saying that work is going on in full swing -- 'larvicide is being sprayed in the morning and adulticide is being used with fogger machine in the evening'. But many areas of the capital are yet to witness any such activities. On top of that, as always, there are not enough pesticides to kill off flying mosquitoes. And the state of the machines is not also very encouraging -- either they are out of order or not repairable or simply not adequate.

What's frustrating is the lack of urgency on the part of DCC to combat the infestation of mosquitoes from the beginning of the breeding season. If the surveillance was initiated and efforts made earlier in the season, the menace could have been nipped in the bud. In fact, we are shocked to learn that a year-long project by DCC called Dengue Surveillance Project that began in August 2001 was not renewed by the authorities after it ended. May be constant surveillance would have exposed the lapses by the DCC officials for timely correction. It would not be wrong to say that the Mayor of Dhaka and his team have failed to keep their promise.

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Now DCC has requested for more funds from the government to carry out a round-the-year mosquito eradication drive. We are glad they have realised at last that seasonal spraying of insecticide and larvicide is not the only answer to the problem. Regular cleaning up of the hyacinths, small lagoons and other ponds where the mosquitoes breed, is as important. We hope the authorities will be extra cautious and not misuse the funds, if granted, and provide some respite to the inhabitants of the city.