Civic bodies fail to swat mosquito menace in Hyd

Hyderabad: Residents across the city, including those staying in prime localities like Banjara Hills, Jubilee Hills, Madhapur areas are increasingly concerned about the rising mosquito menace and urging the municipal corporations to take immediate action. Moreover, the three municipal corporations – Greater Hyderabad, Cyberabad and Malkajgiri - have been facing much online criticism for rising mosquito menace.

Hyderabad is currently facing a severe mosquito menace, causing an alarm. The situation is causing anxiety among families due to the threat of mosquito-borne illnesses and viral fevers, especially for children and senior citizens.

According to residents, mosquito breeding has increased significantly in recent weeks due to unseasonal rains, stagnant water, and open drains. However, civic bodies failed to take adequate sanitation measures to control the menace. Be it a day or night, the menace is increasing. According to them, earlier the areas especially near the water bodies or the open nalas reported with mosquitoes, but now the menace is across the city.

“Mosquitoes are 24/7 and the menace is not letting us sleep during the night. We filed several complaints with GHMC and even took the issue to the notice of the local entomology wing but have not received any response. All our squealing falls on deaf ears,” rued Mohammed Ahmed, a resident of Himmatpura in Old city.

Various areas in all tri-municipal corporations including Malakpet Musheerabad, Rajendranagar, Banjara Hills, Madhapur, Habsiguda, Kukatpally, Baghlingampally, Kompally, Begumpet, Alwal, Secunderabad, Lower Tank Bund Road, Malkajgiri, Tolichowki, Shaikpet, Langar Houz, Mallepally, Santosh Nagar and several areas in Old City are witnessing the menace.

Several complaints were registered online and offline with GHMC, CMC, and MMC entomology wings regarding the increase in mosquitoes menace as people are having sleeping nights due to the buzzing of mosquitoes. However, they blame the lackadaisical attitude of the departments and also pointed out that the Sanitation Department is not cleaning the garbage on time, which is also resulting in the mosquito menace.

K Venkaiah, a resident of Indiranagar in Jubilee Hills said, “With the recent unseasonal rains and heaps of garbage, mosquitoes make us pay through the nose every day.”

The residents have urged authorities to carry out regular fogging operations, conduct anti-larval spraying in open drains, manholes, and stagnant water zones, and apply bleaching powder around garbage bins, and public gathering areas to improve overall sanitation.

Meanwhile, the municipal corporations are facing criticism online. The menace has become the talk of the town with many taking to social media to vent their ire. A social media user, Achal Bhamare, posted a video which she said was recorded around 1:30 am. She said “It’s 1:30 at night and I literally woke up because mosquitoes came near my ear and were buzzing”. She had to use a mosquito racket. She even showed her bed covered with a couple of dead mosquitoes. “When I woke up, I saw so many mosquitoes. This is not normal, I’ll fall sick because of this,” she added. Ashfaq Ahmed, another resident, wrote online: “Repellents like Hit spray or All Out are working ineffectively against them. Some weird breed, people have turned into tennis players swinging around mosquito bats all night (sic).”

On Thursday, in an unusual protest, BRS LB Nagar MLA Devirreddy Sudheer Reddy held a press meet at the media hall in the Assembly premises, wearing an outfit made of mosquito net material highlighting the growing mosquito menace in Greater Hyderabad. The MLA criticised the government for its failure to tackle the issue and demanded immediate measures to protect people from diseases. According to the entomology wings, they have started anti-larval operations in various areas. They claim that they are fogging in lakes, using drones and also started awareness campaigns.