VIJAYAWADA/GUNTUR: The administrations of Vijayawada Municipal Corporation (VMC) and Guntur Municipal Corporation (GMC) are gearing up to address the seasonal diseases that make their presence felt with the onset of monsoon.
The health wing of both the civic bodies have started releasing the Gambusia fish in fresh water, wherever there is a chance of infestation of mosquito larvae. Though the rains have lashed both the cities, only for few days in the last one month, and the mosquito menace is yet to make its presence felt, the officials are not taking any chances and have started fogging in streets in a phased manner and releasing the Gambusia fish in water bodies like tanks and wells.
They have also put 15 ML oil balls in drains.
GMC biologist G Veerraju said that water stagnation leads to mosquito breeding and those pathogen carrying insects infect the humans causing diseases like malaria, dengue, chikungunya and other seasonal diseases.
VMC biologist A Nookaraju stated that though it is during late July and August that the problem of seasonal diseases peaks, they do not want to take risks and have already started taking precautionary measures to control mosquito population.
Both the officials are of opinion that unless people cooperate, all their efforts would end with no significant results. They said that it is people who have to be made aware of the importance of cleanliness of their homes and surroundings. Disposing the garbage properly, not blocking the drains by throwing away debris in them and ensuring that there are no cesspools of water anywhere near their homes are some of the things that people can do without much trouble.