Dhaka North (DNCC) and Dhaka South City Corporations (DSCC) are tasked with the responsibility for controlling mosquito-borne diseases in the capital city. Apart from the two mayors of the two city corporations, there are scores of officers and a councillor for each ward. But we do not see their activities much apart from their ostentatious offices and loud voices.
No one will say that the mosquito infestation has reduced even though the two city corporations have launched a massive mosquito control campaign in the city. Rather, the Dhaka residents are fed up with the mosquito infestation.
According to public health experts, the mosquito-borne dengue fever outbreak peaks in the country from May to October. But this time even before the start of the season, the dengue deaths and number of infected patients have made the city dwellers worried. In addition to Aedes mosquitoes, city dwellers suffer from the infestation of other species of mosquitoes.
The process of spraying pesticides in the morning is called larviciding while fogging is performed to kill mosquitoes in the afternoon. But on 17 April, Prothom Alo ran two reports on the DSCC and DNCC’s mosquito curbing campaigns. The situation is very disappointing.
Though according to the rules, the campaign is supposed to be conducted for eight hours a day, it lasts only for three to four hours. The city corporation workers start their work late and finish it early. On the other hand, they have no idea about how much medicine is required. A field visit revealed that many workers were on leave. Only eight workers were seen working where 17 were supposed to do the job. This means, they cannot carry out anti-mosquito activities in the entire area.
At the start of the season every year, the city corporation officials loudly say - this time they will show us. But before they could show anything, mosquitoes run a show and disrupt public life through the dengue outbreak.
According to the information of the health directorate (DGHS), so far 1,899 people have been infected with dengue this year. Among them, the number of infected in the DSCC area is 379. At the same time, 23 people died of dengue across the country, including 10 in Dhaka South.
In 2023, a total of 1,705 people died of dengue in the country while 321,179 people were infected. Despite this the two city corporations are working in a routine manner. If stringent measures are not taken, the situation may go out of control this year, as the experts warned.
The major problem of the anti-mosquito campaign of the city corporations is its failure to involve the people of all walks with the process. According to the health experts, resistance to some of the pesticides of the Aedes mosquito, which carries the dengue fever virus, has increased. As a result, the previously used medicines are no longer effective. In that case, the pesticide that is more effective should be used.
Once Kolkata, the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal, had a severe mosquito infestation. The city corporation there has been successful in curbing the mosquito population by involving the people with their activities. The two city corporations of Dhaka could use the same method as well.
The residents should also work to keep their buildings and yards free of mosquitoes. The DSCC and DNCC mayors should not feel any sense of complacency that Dhaka’s mosquito population has come under control. They must take up a coordinated and comprehensive programme instead.