VIJAYAWADA: The Vijayawada Municipal Corporation (VMC) has intensified its efforts to control the spread of vector-borne diseases, including dengue and malaria, across the city.
VMC officials have launched special drives involving canal cleaning, drainage de-silting, fogging, and spraying ML oil using drones and Taiwan sprayers. As part of preventive measures, the health department also released one lakh Gambusia fish into stagnant water bodies to control mosquito larvae and prevent further breeding.
Biologist Dr R Ch Surya Kumar said they were working under the instructions of VMC Commissioner Dhyana Chandra H M to curb the mosquito menace. He said the civic body had collected 98,534 blood smears for malaria testing and 7,543 samples from Jakkampudi alone from January to December 2024. Across NTR district, 3,17,250 samples were collected during the same period.
Despite it being summer, residents are facing an unusual surge in mosquito population, leading to sleepless nights and rising health concerns. Many people are using coils, lotions, and vapourisers to protect themselves, but their efforts remain largely ineffective.
Last year, the district reported 61 malaria cases—29 in Jakkampudi, 36 in rural areas, and the remaining within Vijayawada city limits. 50 dengue cases were confirmed across the district, including in the city. The VMC has urged residents to cooperate by removing stagnant water and keeping their surroundings clean to prevent mosquito breeding.
15,000 tonnes of debris cleared from canals
VMC intensified mosquito control measures ahead of the rainy season, clearing 15,000 metric tonnes of flood debris from canals. Last year’s floods inundated over 32 divisions, leaving stagnant water and breeding mosquitoes. Acting on civic chief’s instructions, the civic body launched special sanitation drives to curb vector-borne diseases like malaria and dengue