More funds for mosquito eradication

Vijayawada: The Vijayawada Municipal Corporation (VMC) had to allot more than Rs 2 crore for mosquito eradication in its annual budget for 2018-2019 amidst financial challenges.

Significantly, the expenditure is higher than the budget allocation to various works like park maintenance, playgrounds and sports events, hospitals and road maintenance, conducting of festivals and national leaders birth anniversaries, along with honorary wages of corporators, mayor and their tours and training expenditure.

Likewise, the corporation had allocated Rs 90 lakh to control stray dogs and pigs. According to officials, the corporation has estimated Rs 2.06 crore in its budget allocation for mosquitoes’ eradication. It shows the severity of mosquito problem in the city. 

As per the budget report, Rs 25.26 crore has been earmarked for Swachh Bharat programme. Rs 45 lakh was allocated for maintenance of parks, Rs 12 lakh for maintenance of nurseries, Rs 3 lakh for tree guards establishment, only Rs 1 lakh for conduct of festivals.

Rs 50 lakh was allocated for the honorary wages of the mayor and the corporators while Rs 55 lakh will be spent for their training programmes. The corporation also allotted Rs 15 lakh for sports and maintenance of playgrounds.

The maintenance of concrete roads is Rs 90 lakh. The expenditure to control mosquito menace is higher than several important heads of expenditure plans of state government, admitted one top official in the corporation. Furthermore, VMC chief medical officer Dr M Arjuna Rao said the corporation has plans to increase steps for mosquito eradication.

The usage of fogging machines would be increased following the instructions of the municipal commissioner, he said and added that the VMC identified canals and drains as mosquito breeding grounds. Similarly, the corporation would increase fogging and the corporation decided to take up special drive on every Monday in this regard, he said.

By Patibandla Srinivas