Residents of many areas in Dhaka city are suffering badly from mosquito menace, and even during this winter season, people are not at all free from the severe mosquito menace.
However, the outbreak of dengue has worried the people of the capital city. Many of them alleged that the city authorities do not take effective measures to combat mosquito menace. Many of them fear that the increase of the mosquito menace may become a serious threat to public health in Dhaka city.
The mosquito menace has turned terrible especially in Rampura, Banasree, South Banasree, Aftabnagar, Badda, Bhatara, Uttara, Mirpur, Goran, Jatrabari, Sayedabad, Jurain, Demra, Kamrangirhcar and Rayerbazar area in the city, according to the residents of the areas.
Mosquitos are more rampant in the peripheral areas of Dhaka city than that of the central areas. Many believe this is because of open drainage lines, canals and other water bodies in the peripheral areas as these have turned into breeding grounds for mosquitoes.
Two crowded areas within the capital city-- Banasree and Aftabnagar-- are divided by the Rampura canal. People living there have become fed up with the mosquito menace. Many residents of the Banasree and Aftabnagar areas believe that the Rampura canal has become the breeding ground for mosquitoes. So, people of the areas suffer badly from mosquito menace even during this winter season.
Tania Bithe, who lives in a residence on Road No. 6 of Block-E at Rampura Banasree, said that the mosquito menace in the area has increased recently. “I have not seen such a proliferation of mosquitoes before. Even in the winter, the mosquito menace is not reducing. We are using mosquito nets or coils even during the daytime at our residence. We are always afraid for our children. Our school-going son was recently hospitalized due to dengue,” she told Bangladesh Post.
Rayhan Ahmed and Nehar Begum, a couple who live on Road No. 15 in Block-K at South Banasree, said that everyone in the area is suffering from the mosquito menace. They are unable to sleep even inside mosquito nets. It doesn’t matter in the morning or evening or night. Mosquitoes were not so high in numbers at this time last year, they narrated their experience of suffering.
Talking to Bangladesh Post, a resident of Aftabnagar area said that it has become difficult to stay at home even during daytime due to the mosquito menace. The city corporation authorities should take special measures to save the people of Banasree and Aftabnagar areas from mosquito menace.
Jahangir Alam Ansary, a resident of Badda area, said that people of Badda area are also suffering from mosquito menace like many other areas of the capital city. “The mosquito menace at Badda area turned terrible at night. We can’t control it by using mosquito coils. The mosquito makes our lives hell,” said.
Talking to Bangladesh Post, he alleged that the city corporation authorities are not taking effective measures to combat mosquito menace despite spending a huge amount of money on mosquito control. Apart from suffering, there is fear of widespread spread of various mosquito-borne diseases if the authorities concerned don’t take effective measures, he opined.
The High Court on November 22 asked the authorities of Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) why they are failing to curb the mosquito menace even after having a budget for anti-mosquito drives.
An HC bench asked the DNCC authorities and the Civil Aviation Authority to take effective measures to control mosquitos at the airport area and other areas in their jurisdiction. The authorities had also been asked to submit a compliance report in this regard on February 15 in 2023.
Like Banasree, Aftabnagar and Badda areas, the mosquito menace has also increased in Mirpur area.
Asad Uddin Sayem, an NGO official whose working place is in Mirpur area, said that it became difficult for them to perform duties in office at the area due to mosquito menace.
Meanwhile, the dengue cases are again increasing in the city due to the increase of aedes mosquitos and failure of the authorities concerned to conduct cleanliness programmes and destroy breeding grounds of mosquitoes.
Against this backdrop, a Supreme Court lawyer has sent a legal notice to the authorities concerned of 12 city corporations, secretary of the local government ministry and some others to take effective measures to kill mosquitoes to ensure the safety of public health.
Advocate JR Khan Robin on Wednesday (December 21) sent the legal notice through emails, saying that if the respondents of the legal notice don’t take necessary measures to prevent the mosquito menace, he will move for legal action.
The notice said that dengue fever caused by the Aedes mosquito is very dangerous. Its outbreak began in Bangladesh in 2000. According to media reports, more deaths due to dengue have been reported this year. According to information provided by an English daily on December 17, a total of 271 people have died of dengue this year and over 61,000 people have been affected.
Experts and entomologists blamed lack of cleaning canals, drains, ditches and other dirty places as the main reason for the rise in mosquitoes in many areas, particularly in the peripheral areas.
They said that the clogged waste in open drainage lines and other solid waste on water bodies need to be cleaned in order to kill mosquitoes.
Dr Mohammmad Sorowar Hossain, executive director at Biomedical Research Foundation said that an estimated 2.4 million people are infected with dengue every year, mostly in Dhaka. Rapid unplanned urbanisation contributed to the dengue outbreak. The government should take initiatives to engage the community in mosquito control as well as in managing the dengue crisis, he suggested.
