Hyderabad Old City at risk of dengue outbreak

Hyderabad: Even as the city is grappling with Covid-19 spread, and, on an average, around 1,000 cases are being reported daily, the dengue infection is on the rise as the civic authorities failed in conducting sanitation drive, particularly in southern part of the city.

There are several such areas including Talabkatta, Moghalpura, Yakutpura, Malakpet, Himmatpura, Shalibanda, Bahadurpura, Chandrayanagutta, Barkas, Hafez Baba Nagar, Nawab Sahab Kunta, Falaknuma and other areas including Mehdipatnam, Asif Nagar, Mallepally, Langer Houz, Tolichowki etc. In these areas, the mosquito menace is high as sanitation has been completely neglected.

"Even after several complaints and also requests to the officials for the sanitation, it remains unheard," said Abdul Rahman, a social activist. The people are already struggling with Coronavirus and now they are faced with dengue risk. Despite this, civic authorities are yet to sit up take note of the sorry plight of hygiene across the Old City. "Hundreds of complaints have been registered online and even on Twitter, but they fail to respond to the complaints," rues Rahman.

The garbage has been not lifted for some days even after rainfall. Roads are not being cleared, and desilting not carried out in open nalas in the Old City and it has become a major cause for mosquito menace. "Following several complaints, Yakutpura nala has been cleared; however, the garbage dumped nearby has resulted in growth of mosquitoes which has taken the sleep out of residents of Yakutpura, Rein Bazar, Talabkatta, and its surrounding areas," said Abdul Rahman.

Fogging was carried out briefly and only after persistent please in a few selected places at the request of a local leader, Kareem, a resident of Jahanuma.

Meanwhile, Shalibanda, Himmatpura, Fateh Darwaza, Bahadurpura areas have been affected as the sanitation workers have stopped collecting garbage door-to-door. Frustrated residents are throwing domestic waste in the garbage bins. "No workers are on ground and when contacted to higher officials they said that due to rise in Covid-19 cases, no worker was on the ground," said Mohammed Ahmed, TDP Greater Hyderabad minority unit vice-president.