Hyderabad: GHMC campaign to curb vector-borne diseases

Hyderabad: Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) has launched an intensive drive to ensure your surroundings are hygienic. Its officials are touring various colonies and inspecting several houses in Balanagar and Bowenpally.

"Drastically we have less cases of dengue this year compared to last year. We have removed stagnant water from many colonies and slums in Kukatpally that would have contributed higher to the reduction of cases as well the awareness campaigns and weekly programs helped the citizens to battle the mosquito borne diseases. Around 90% of the houses we have visited were unaware that the fresh water stored for three days might be a hotspot for mosquito breeding. From then GHMC is educating hundreds of houses weekly on how to prevent mosquito breeding," said V Prashanthi, Deputy Commissioner, Kukatpally, GHMC.

However, the campaign is not just about ending itchy bites as mosquitoes can potentially carry and transmit serious diseases through just a single bite. It poses threats of diseases such as Zika, Dengue and Malaria. And our pets are susceptible, too. Mosquitoes carry worm disease which can be fatal to both dogs and cats.

A campaign is on to motivate people to keep dry tin cans, buckets, discarded tires and other artificial containers that hold stagnant water. Untended pools, birdbaths, clogged rain gutters, and plastic wading pools that hold stagnant water are also being inspected and drained of any water.

GHMC is also strictly monitoring fogging operations in Kukatpally. Officials have fixed GPS trackers to the fogging machine to record the fogging and spraying data such as how many areas it has covered and distance of fogging per day and others. However, fogging is a temporary activity and the only permanent solution is eradicating mosquitoes by preventing their breeding.

Balanagar, Jawahar Nagar and Bowenpally's Kummari basti are much prone to mosquito diseases. GHMC also identified that coconut selling areas and pot making areas are highly prone to mosquito breeding.

"Mosquitoes need stagnant, still water to lay their eggs and for the young to successfully hatch and mature. During mosquito season, it's especially important to keep gutters clear, thoroughly empty kiddie pools and water buckets after use and keep bird baths filled with freshwater," said Sri Valli, a GHMC official. "One mosquito can lay as many as 100 to 300 eggs or more just in one session, and it lays around 3,000 eggs in her short lifespan of a couple of weeks. We must observe our surroundings and clean the stagnant water to destroy breeding," she added.