Eluru canal turns breeding ground for mosquitoes

Vijayawada: Eluru canal has become breeding ground for mosquitoes with dirty water stagnating for the last few months. Thousands of families living adjacent to Eluru canal are facing innumerable hardships due to the mosquito menace and stink emanating from the dirty water.

Primarily, this canal is being used for dumping garbage. Public urination is also very common in many parts along the canal. Citizens residing close to Eluru canal in PN Pet, Pejjoni pet, Kedareswara Pet, Ayodhya Nagar, Mutyalampadu, Gandhi Nagar have complained to the authorities several times regarding the piling of garbage on the bed of the canal but to no avail.

Vijayawada Municipal Corporation (VMC) biologist A Nooka Raju said the department was taking all precautionary measures to eradicate larva by conducting anti-larva operations. Mosquito Larvicide (ML) oil is being sprayed on the bed of the canal where the menace of larvae is very high, he added.

Nookraju said that vulnerable places prone for larva breeding were identified and ML oil was sprayed at stagnated water, he added. Babu Srinivasan, an official of VMC, Public Health department, said thick heaps of garbage piled up on the bed of Eluru canal would be cleared by using heavy earth moving machines soon. He said the staff is waiting for orders from VMC Commissioner J Nivas.

He said sewage water from one-town and the railway station has been flowing into Eluru canal and the garbage and plastic waste which was thrown into the canal was obstructing the flow of water resulting in stagnation of dirty waters and emitting foul smell and led to breeding of mosquitoes.

He said the VMC commissioner had ordered for beautification of three canals in the city and the work had already started. R Johnson, a resident of Pezzonipet near Eluru canal, said it was an age old practice to throw garbage and waste into canals by the people. Even the sanitary department staff does their duty just for the sake of it leaving the residents to face the mess.

He said mosquito mesh have been fitted to the doors and windows to houses in Pezzonipet to prevent mosquitoes. He requested the VMC to clear the garbage at the earliest and prevent the menace of mosquitoes and filthy smell. He requested the officials to speed up the Canal bund beautification works and arrange iron mesh to prevent urination along the bund.

By C Pradeep