BMC calls for steps to curb mosquito breeding

In order to curb the spread of malaria, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) today directed the CPWD and National Textiles Corporation (NTC) to demolish their structures which are not in use so as to stop mosquito breeding.

The direction was given by BMC Commissioner Subodh Kumar at a meeting called to discuss steps to be taken to curb spread of the mosquito-borne disease in the metropolis. He also asked the Central and Western Railways to remove the piles of scrap lying in their premises.

Talking to reporters, Manisha Mhaiskar, Additional Municipal Commissioner, said there are a large number of Government agencies who own premises where there is a chance of water accumulation, leading to breeding of mosquitoes.

"The meeting focused on what steps the public land owning authorities should take to see that the water does not accumulate in their areas."

Representatives of public land owning authorities like BMC, the State and Central Governments, NTC, Central and Western Railways, Mumbai Port Trust and Airport Authority of India (AAI), among others, were present in the meeting.

"BMC Commissioner asked the Railways to remove scraps lying in their areas. He also asked the CPWD to demolish their unused old buildings," Mhaiskar said.

There are 14 CPWD buildings, which are not in use. Most of them are located in Antop Hill in central Mumbai.

"Six NTC mills like Apollo, Sitaram and Madhusudhan have been asked to demolish their mills or undertake pest control," she said.

The BMC has asked the authorities to complete the anti-malaria task by April 8.