HYDERABAD: Moosapet ward residents are trying hard to keep mosquito-borne diseases like malaria, dengue and chikungunya at bay.Lack of regular fogging by Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC), open nalas crisscrossing the ward, garbage dumping at open places, lakes with stagnant polluted water located in nearby areas are some of the reasons why mosquitoes make their presence felt among people in this ward even in the mornings.“This is definitely the hub of mosquitoes. It is not just in the evening that people are bitten by swarms of mosquitoes but even in the morning hours people are troubled due to mosquitoes. People in this ward use mosquito repellents all day”, said a resident of Avanti Nagar. However, it is not just Avanti Nagar but most of the colonies in Moosapet face the problem.
While people dread mosquito-borne diseases, all the GHMC has to offer is one fogging machine that conducts fogging operations just once a month, although the requirement is for fogging to be conducted at least once a week.“Fogging is not done regularly. The corporator is not serving his public duties”, said Md Moiz, Youth Congress, vice president, Malkajgiri parliamentary constituency.
Thumu Shravan Kumar, corporator of Moosapet said that he was aware of the mosquito menace but could not help as only one fogging machine is available for the ward. “The machine works for forty five minutes at a stretch with ten litres of diesel in it. It is going to each colony on a weekly basis,” he said.
The issue will be taken up at the council meeting and wherein demand will be made for additional fogging machines to meet the demand, he added.
Poor roads
Pathetic condition of roads another problem that bogs residents of Moosa[et wards. While roads in some areas, including Maruthi Nagar, where the ward’s corporator resides are in a good condition, same is not the case in many areas where roads are in a poor condition due to lack of repairs and incomplete civic works.
Open nala produces stench
An Anganwadi centre located just beside an open nala at Kabir Nagar basthi, is of serious concern. Around 20 toddlers visit this centre daily. Their parents are worried as the toddlers run the risk of acquiring some deadly disease. “Our relatives mock us for living in close proximity to an open nala. We are tired informing corporator about the issue but he does not seem to be interested in his job,” said
a local in the basthi. When asked about it, the corporator said, “Cleaning and silt removal happens regularly in the nala.”