Hyderabad: Mosquito menace stings city dwellers

Hyderabad: After the recent rains, swarms of mosquitoes have invaded several parts of the city. And dwellers in every nook and corner of the city are now grappling with growing mosquito menace. To stay clear of this menace, Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation's (GHMC) entomology team is conducting a special drive at Musi river and other water bodies in the city.

Mosquitoe menace has now become a never-ending problem forcing residents in several areas to keep their doors and windows shut. Citizens to have a good night sleep are using the repellents to drive away mosquitoes.

"The residents are leading a miserable life. They stay indoors all the time due to the increase of mosquitoes. It appears as if the entire city has become a breeding ground for mosquitoes. Despite the fogging activities being done by the GHMC in some areas on a regular basis it could not control the menace. The government has to take measures to find a permanent solution to control mosquito breeding," said Shaik Sarwar of Malakpet.

Similarly, the residents from Chaderghat, Santosh Nagar, Nayapul, Petlaburj, Ghansi Bazar, Moosa Bowli, Hussaini Alam, Begum Bazaar and other areas surrounding Musi River also said the menace has reached alarming proportions in past few months.

The areas like Nampally, Asif Nagar, Mehdipatnam, Tolichowki, and Golconda are facing mosquito menace. The problem has affected the areas including Banjara Hills, Jubilee Hills and Khairatabad.

"Since a month, the mosquito population has increased in the area, and the residents who never used the repellents are now forced to go for them. Even as the problem is severe, the GHMC is yet to take action on complaints of fogging in the area," said Varun of Mehdipatnam.

Following the complaints of increased mosquito menace in several parts of the city, the GHMC team recently deployed drones to spray the chemical in the water bodies. "Due to the polluted water in Musi, open nala and other water bodies, the mosquito problem has increased and the team is spraying the chemicals in Musi river," said an official.

According to the official, the drive is being conducted in a phased manner. It commenced from Puranapul towards the High Court and Chaderghat. "The drive is being conducted at 21 kilometres of Musi river including sanitation, fogging, anti-larval operations and other activities to control mosquito menace."

The entomology wing will be focusing on Musi catchment areas and open nalas. The team has also focusing on spraying activities using drones in lakes and water stagnation areas with an aim to effectively curb the mosquito menace.