Mosquito breeding detectors fail BMC

In yet another case of sheer public apathy towards civic sense, the ‘Mosquito Breeding Detectors’ scheme floated by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to help its mosquito control measures has flopped. The civic body has found that people, who were trained for this cause, are reluctant to carry out their duty.

Faced with non-operation from locals in its mosquito control measures, the BMC had last year decided to involve residents from private housing societies in its drive to control mosquito breeding. They were trained as ‘Mosquito Breeding Detectors,’ who will help the BMC to find mosquito-breeding spots on their own society premises.

According to civic officials, most of the areas where mosquito breeding was found are housing societies and complexes, which are located mostly in posh localities of the city. Neither do the residents of these societies follow dengue preventive measures nor do they co-operate with civic officials for preventing the spread of vector-borne diseases like malaria and dengue, said the officials.

According to them, interested senior citizens, active society members etc. were given thorough training on how to detect mosquito breeding on their residential premises. They were also explained about basics of mosquito biology and breeding habitats. They were asked to inform the ward pest control officer about detection of mosquito breeding to take further preventing measures.

Chief insecticide officer Rajan Naringrekar said, “We had trained about 4,000 people as mosquito-breeding detectors. They were expected to find mosquito-breeding spots on their society premises and inform civic officials about them. But we have not received feedback from any of these trained people. It is very disappointing to find out that citizens are unwilling to help the BMC in its awareness campaign.”

He further added, “But we will continue our efforts to control mosquito breeding in the city.”