The New Nation - Internet Edition

UNB, Dhaka

Plight of city dwellers has aggravated with alarming breeding of mosquitoes that also posed health hazard as the Dhaka City Corporation (DCC) could not control the menace due to limited manpower and mosquito killing equipment. People everywhere - at homes, offices, schools or shops - are coming under increasing attacks of mosquitoes. And due to unabated mosquito-reign, prices of anti-mosquito coils and other repellants are on the rise.

The city residents now seemed to have no other option in sight but to spend a substantial amount every month to buy mosquito nets as well as anti-mosquito coils, spray and other repellants. A large section of the city population in the low income group, particularly the slum dwellers, already hard pressed by the abnormal price-hike of essentials cannot even think of spending anything extra to get rid of mosquito menace and always remain susceptible to malaria and other diseases. "I've to spend a big amount of my (monthly) budget to buy aerosol or other repellants, but the DCC did not take any practical step to eradicate mosquitoes," said Shahin Alam, a resident of Bara Maghbazar.

Some residents alleged that the anti-mosquito drive in the city is being hampered for lack of proper monitoring by the DCC.

Tayeb Ahmed, a banker who lives in Eskaton, said he did not see any sprayers and crew spraying pesticide for last three months in the area. Blaming the DCC, he said it was the absence of a proper monitoring system that allow the field level staff to skip work and avoid their duties.

"The DCC must closely monitor the activities of its cleaning staff," the banker said. The entire capital city-especially densely populated areas such as Badda, Shahjadpur, Malibagh, Khilgaon, Basabo, Mugdapara, Gopibagh, Hazaribagh, Mohammadpur, Rayerbazar, Jigatala and some parts of Mirpur-is now heavily infested by mosquitoes, complained residents from all walks of life.