Lack of entomologists hurting city corporations in fight against mosquito

The city corporations of the country do not have an entomologist on their payroll yet, although their research is crucial for controlling the mosquito population, reports UNB.

Solving the city's mosquito problem is one of the main responsibilities of the city corporations, but they do not have any entomologist to carry out research on mosquitoes.

So technical issues are not being resolved properly as the municipal corporations do not have adequate experts to do the job, Touhid Uddin Ahmed, former chief scientific officer of the Institute of Epidemiology Disease Control and Research (IEDCR), said Thursday.

He was addressing a webinar titled "Mosquito menace in the city: The way out" organised by the Center for Governance Studies (CGS).

The mosquito menace of the city can be controlled by ensuring accountability of the city corporations and sensitising the city dwellers, the experts said at the webinar.

"Mosquito larvae are thriving in the under-construction buildings of the city, but the issue not being taken seriously," Touhid said.

Dr Manzoor Ahmed Chowdhury, CGS chairman and entomologist, presented a research paper on the exploding mosquito problem in the city, their causes and ways to overcome them.

He said the city corporations' staffs lack adequate training and skills in mosquito control. He also spoke about the shortage of equipment to kill mosquitoes.

Architect and Institute of Architects Bangladesh president Mobasher Hossain said, "The roofs of government offices remain unclean. Vehicles that have been involved in accidents several times are laying on the government office premises day after day.

"Mosquitoes are also breeding in buses parked at Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation depots."