BHOPAL: Basements, gardens ponds and fountains in residential and commercial areas are posing real challenges to the health department team undertaking Dengue-Malaria survey.
Bhopal Municipal Corporation (BMC) and Malaria department jointly launched a survey in the state capital to deal with mosquito-borne diseases.
In wake of increasing cases of malaria and dengue in the state capital, the survey teams have intensified its drive and are now focusing on artificial water bodies - created to enhance the landscape of residential or office complex - and also the basements in buildings used as parking lot.
These are providing a perfect breeding ground for dengue vector mosquito larva. Basement in residential and commercial complexes get flooded during rains but no one is bothered to flush out stagnant water.
BMC administration has served notices on landlords if their building’s basement was found flooded.
Many residential areas and houses have fountains, ponds, and other water bodies, they surely add to the beauty, however, if not properly maintained, they can add an unpleasant element to the landscape—mosquitoes.
The key strategy is to eliminate all potential breeding sites; even a thin chance of stagnant water can support a population of larvae.Dr Akhilesh Dubey, district malaria officer, said, “Basements, pond and garden fountains are big challenges for us.
In fact, there is provision of basements for parking in many residential complexes and apartments. This facility has become a big headache for health department as residents overlook flooding of parking lots as residences are on upper floor.
When our survey team spotted such cases, we informed the BMC administration to serve notices or take required action to siphon off water collected in basement.”
Similarly, ponds and fountains which have been installed in many posh colonies, offices are also our target as they are also breeding ground for dengue larva which are found in fresh water, Dr Dubey said, adding, “
no one notice or take care of these water bodies. This is reason, larva is found in such water.” Dengue larva has found in 10,246 houses so far in the state capital during survey.
