No fund for mosquito control activities

There are very little mosquito control activities in the newly formed 36 wards of the two Dhaka city corporations.

The north and south city corporations of the city do not even have any funds allocated for combating mosquitos and managing garbage in the areas.

Thousands of residents of these areas are suffering from a mosquito menace amid the dengue outbreak.

The Dhaka North City Corporation about 10 days ago handed out a few fumigation machines and insecticides among the councillors, who have taken office in March.

But the initiative, lacking resources, is too little to tackle the mosquito population.

At least 9,657 people have been infected with the mosquito-borne disease in the country, according to the Directorate General of Health Services.

Authorities of different hospitals in the capital said at least 28 dengue patients have died so far. But the DGHS maintains that only eight people died of the disease.

Hospital authorities said the actual number deaths must be higher because many dengue cases went unreported.

In 24 hours since 8:00am on Thursday, 390 new dengue cases were reported at different hospitals, officials said.

In 2017, the local government, rural development and cooperatives ministry issued a gazette notification forming 36 new wards under the two city corporations.

“It is really difficult to stay still at any place because of the mosquitoes. We even get bitten at daytime,” said Bikash Majumdar, a resident of Donia Goalbari area, which falls under ward-61, one of the new wards.

He said people in his neighbourhood were in constant fear of contracting dengue fever.

Another resident of the area, Abu Taleb Sarkar, said he had never seen a pest control official in his neighbourhood except only once last week.

Tapon Chandra Das, a resident of Demra’s Dogair, said people in his neighbourhood were yet to see any benefit of being a part of the city corporation. 

“We are living in fear of the disease,” Tapon said.

Many child patients even have to stay on the floor. Photo: Palash Khan

Contacted, DSCC Mayor Sayeed Khokon said, “We have not even started collecting taxes in the areas. We are now developing roads and the drainage systems there.”

On the other hand, DNCC Mayor Atiqul Islam said, “A tender for purchasing fumigation machines and sprays for the new wards is under way.”

Both the mayors said they would allocate funds for mosquito control and garbage management in their next budget.

LOCAL LEADER CHIPS IN

Councillor of ward-61 Jumman Miah said he purchased five sprays and a fumigation machine with his own money.

The DSCC will soon hand out aerosol sprays at educational institutions for free, Moyor Khokon said yesterday.

However, the mayor could not specify when his officials would be able to do that.

MENON SLAMS MAYOR

Lawmaker Rashed Khan Menon yesterday said the DSCC Mayor was trying to hide corruption in insecticide procurement and incompetency of his officials by terming the dengue outbreak a rumour.