BMC to pick citizen volunteers to detect mosquitoes breeding spots
In a move that will ensure public participation in bringing down mosquito breeding spots to curb vector-borne diseases, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has proposed to appoint voluntary detectors from among citizens.
In a move that will ensure public participation in bringing down mosquito breeding spots to curb vector-borne diseases, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has proposed to appoint voluntary detectors from among citizens.
Learning from its past experience when sections of city residents refused to cooperate with civic officials and denied entry to insecticide department staffers for surveying various spots, the corporation has decided to rope in the residents themselves to tackle the problem in a first such move.
BMC will train volunteersAccording to civic officials, the idea is to appoint voluntary detectors and train them in identifying spots of bother and take requisite action with the help of BMC men."We hope our men will get access once the local volunteers come forward. We are committed to controlling breeding of mosquitoes effectively," aid Rajan Naringrekar, BMC's insecticide officer.
4,997 spots surveyedThe corporation's proposal comes in the wake of a high number of cases reported in 2014, as compared to the year before. The civic body surveyed where the mosquitoes proliferate.
5 members from each society or slumThe BMC has proposed to let residents of each housing society, slum colony and chawl to appoint at least five members each to work as mosquito breeding detectors. Names of the detectors will be registered with insecticide department of BMC ward office. The corporation will also train pest control agency, if a society has appointed any, if need be, civic officials said.
BMC to draw up list of breeding spotsDuring the drives the BMC undertook last year, it found breeding spots in places like saplings, flower pots, defrosting trays, overhead tanks, etc. The corporation is going to share a list of such spots with the voluntary detectors. These spots will be inspected on a weekly basis by the civic employees as well.
Meanwhile, civic officials recommended a ban on the use of blue tarpaulin that is used to protect balconies/terraces/roofs of shanties from rains. "The tarpaulins accumulate water, leading to breeding of mosquitoes. Hence, it should be banned," the official said.
Residents treating BMC staffers badly?Meanwhile, insecticide officers complained the staffers surveying mosquito breeding spots were badly treated by sections of residents. "People would shut doors. In some societies they were disallowed entries. In some slum pockets, they were threatened they would be killed," Naringrekar said.