TIRUPATI: Though the temperature has dropped marginally in Tirupati, its citizens have found no relief from the mosquito problem. To try and escape from them, they have begun closing their doors and windows before sunset.
Municipal Corporation of Tirupati (MCT) claims it is undertaking fogging operations in the city on a regular basis. That does not seem to be effective. Many residents are complaining that the frequency of fogging has fallen in their areas. There are reports of the civic body delaying anti-larval operations despite open nalas and garbage piles across the city being the main breeding grounds for mosquitoes.
S. Gnaneswara, a resident of Bank Employees’ Colony, is so concerned that he locks himself inside his house after sunset. “I can’t spend the evening on the balcony or patio. Such is the mosquito threat that we keep our doors and windows locked,” he remarked. He blamed civic authorities for fogging only the main roads.
However, this is an ordeal that repeats every year. Residents frequently rely on insect repellents or electric rackets to get rid of mosquitoes between December and May. P. Janaki, a Maruti Nagar resident, says she spends most of her evenings fighting mosquitoes with a racket.
Many residents have told Deccan Chronicle that stagnating rain water and blocked drains in their localities are the leading cause for mosquito breeding. They say anti-larval operations taken up by civic body are not up to the mark. Amount of fogging is also negligible.
Tirupati residents are one in demanding that municipal authorities ramp up anti-larval operations and fumigation in the city. “While it is important to kill mosquitos, it is also crucial that larvae are killed. But I have never seen any genuine efforts to eradicate larvae. In my locality, there is a large drain that helps mosquitoes thrive in the area,” says S. Jyotsna of Subba Reddy Nagar.
When contacted, a civic official asserted that they cover virtually all wards in the city on a roaster basis. “We undertake fogging in as many areas as possible at least once a week. We are also responding to concerns of city residents. Anti-larval operations are common in areas near open drains and where there is stagnant water,” he maintained.
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