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No fogging drive in civic bodies
The lackadaisical attitude of the civic bodies in the district has been giving nightmarish experience to the denizens during nights due to mosquito menace. The authorities of municipalities and Nellore Municipal Corporation are not using fogging machines to prevent spread of mosquitoes.
Nellore: The lackadaisical attitude of the civic bodies in the district has been giving nightmarish experience to the denizens during nights due to mosquito menace. The authorities of municipalities and Nellore Municipal Corporation are not using fogging machines to prevent spread of mosquitoes.
Even though, the chemical creates health problems for humans, especially for the vulnerable groups, the trouble with the increasing diseases like malaria, filaria, dengue, chikungunya, and Japanese encephalitis have been haunting the people of the district. It may be recalled that some BJP leaders, recently, demanded for declaring health emergency in the district where thousands of people started falling prey to the vector population due to laidback action of the officials.
The entire district has been facing such life-threatening situation with sudden spurt of various fevers where thousands were hospitalised. Local people blame the major panchayats, municipal bodies and Corporation authorities for failing to take care of public health with their lax behaviour. Not only Nellore city, majority places in the district failed to provide care during winter for preventing vector borne diseases.
In fact, major panchayats and municipalities use fogging machines for preventing active movement of vector population as they at least control some percentage. Malathion, which is normally used as chemical, is harmful both in the long and short term which can cause breathing problems and headaches in a normal person.
But, with no presence of appropriate number of fogging machines both in urban and semi-urban areas, population of mosquitoes has increased, and they are able to sustain even with high power mosquito repellents. They also use Malathion and Pyrethrin that normally check the vector population with their power.
Astonishingly, sale of composition of Allethrin used in high power solutions for preventing flies and mosquitoes is on the rise due to failure of other solutions. Though these compositions are hazardous for health and still people have only option such as mosquito net.
The civic bodies across the district have not taken up fogging and machines became mere ornamental objects. “The fogging machines provided to various constituencies were being used very rarely due to negligence and lack of funds at many places. They play crucial role during winter for preventing vector borne diseases.
Now, the district administration has to educate the officials on use of fogging and significance of public health,” said Dr VRK Reddy, a retired medical officer. A senior official from Nellore Municipal Corporation said they were using the machines in vulnerable areas such as slums and other places for controlling the vector population.
By P V Prasad
