Hyderabad: Residents see red as no anti-larvae ops held

Hyderabad: Come summer, the mosquito menace wanes, but this year there is not any sign of abatement of the menace. Several localities, particularly those near water bodies or stagnating or overflowing drains, are spending uneasy days and sleepless nights, stuck as they are in their homes due to enforcement of stringent lockdown regulations.

Residents blame the lackadaisical attitude of GHMC officials for their sorry state of affairs. Whenever they make a call to any official or entomology wing, the routine answer they get is: "Ask your local corporator to call us," informed Sadiq Bin Salam of Hassan Nagar.

Affirming the same, Mir Shoukat Ali, a resident of Shastripuram, said, "It is as if the civic body officials are working at polticians' behest.

A couple of days ago one entomology wing staff at Shastripuram gave a similar advice to me on the complaint over mosquito menace. Why should we approach local corporators even to avail of the basic amenities that come under essential health care services," he asked.

"At present, under the lockdown, disinfection campaign and anti-larvae operations must be conducted twice a day in all the areas to protect people from every form of infection and diseases," insisted Jitender Reddy, a social activist from Attapur.

Promising to look into the issue, assistant entomologist, Rajendranagar (Circle No11), Udai Kiran, said, "GHMC provides one fogging machine each for all divisions.

To use the same we have to keep the local representatives informed about the day-to-day activities and complaints being addressed."