Mumbai: BMC ‘stings’ over 3,600 societies over mosquito breeding

Mumbai: As part of its drive against monsoon diseases, the BMC has served legal notices to 3,659 societies after finding mosquito breeding spots on their premises.

A special drive has been carried out by the civic body's insecticide department in mosquito breeding areas. In the last five months, the department has found 2,214 breeding spots infested with larvae of malaria and 18,052 spots of dengue.

The BMC sprayed disinfectants in slums near construction sites. Also, the training of 359 surveillance staff malaria inspectors and investigators was conducted in the third week of May, said the BMC official.

According to the official data, 297 cases were filed in court on those societies failing to prevent mosquito breeding. It has also collected Rs 6 lakh fines from these societies between 1 January and May 31.

The team of the insecticide department inspected 45,37,247 odd articles like tyres, water storage tanks, etc and found 18,052 Aedes mosquito breeding spots.

While 2,214 Anopheles mosquito breeding spots were found after inspecting 2,12,541 sites. During the campaign, 2,624 waste tyres and 1,26,437 items were removed.

Ahead of the monsoon, the BMC starts its special Aedes aegypti mosquito survey; in which the insecticide department conducts mass drives to destroy breeding spots. The drives aim at reducing the proliferation of the dengue-spreading mosquitoes before the onset of rains.

Such pre-monsoon drives are crucial because they help in limiting the mosquitoes once the rains hit and water gets accumulated at various locations, where breeding becomes easy.

Such drives are conducted every fortnight. The staff visits the spot looking for breeding in containers, odd articles, etc during this period and sprays tamifoss, which is also safe in drinking water.