Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) has started using a new insecticide named Bti (Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis) to destroy Aedes mosquito.
Mayor of DNCC Md Atiqul Islam inaugurated the insecticide application programme at Gulshan-2 in the capital on Monday (August 7, 2023).
The Bacillus thuringiensis serotype israelensis (Bti) destroys larvae of Aedes mosquito. However, human being, domestic animals and fishes will remain unaffected by this poison.
The insecticide has been procured from Singapore’s Best Chemical Company Limited at Tk 3,385 per kg.
An official of the company has come to Dhaka to demonstrate use of the poison. The official will train mosquito control personnel and officials for five days.
The DNCC has bought five tons of Bti which will be spread over the potholes, lakes, canals and basements of houses.
Mayor Atiqul Islam said “Every packet consists of 25 gram pesticide. A quantity of 75 gram Bti mixed with 10 litres water has to spread within 25-50 square meter areas twice in a month.”
The dengue situation has deteriorated in the recent days. At least, 10 people died of dengue on Sunday.
Fourteen more deaths were reported from dengue in 24 hours till Sunday morning, raising the fatalities from the mosquito-borne disease in Bangladesh to 327 this year.
During the period, 2,751 more patients were hospitalised with the viral fever, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
Of the new patients, 1,119 were admitted to hospitals in Dhaka and the rest outside it, according to DGHS.
A total of 9,572 dengue patients, including 4,652 in the capital, are now receiving treatment at hospitals across the country.
So far, the DGHS has recorded 69,483 dengue cases and 59,584 recoveries this year.
