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PORT CITY PROBLEMS

No respite from mosquitos

CCC's month-long drive seemingly falls short

ARUN BIKASH Dey, Chittagong
Residents of the port city are still struggling with the nuisance of mosquitos, even after Chittagong City Corporation's (CCC) recent month-long anti-mosquito drive.
The drive was launched on April 10 against the backdrop of city dwellers' sufferings from severe mosquito proliferation. CCC Mayor AJM Nasir Uddin inaugurated the programme from Anderkilla Ward.
As part of the drive, drains in 41 wards were supposed to be cleaned up while chemicals were supposed to destroy mosquito breeding grounds, said CCC officials. The programme ended on May 5.
Although CCC claims their workers have done their job in every ward, residents in many areas alleged that they did not see any CCC workers conducting the anti-mosquito campaign during the last two months.
Shuvechha Ghosh, a master's student of the English department at Chittagong College and a resident of the West Bakalia area, is fed up as she
cannot concentrate in her studies in the evening due to mosquitoes.
"I use anti-mosquito spray, but in vain... there are so many of them that nothing works," she said.
"We were hopeful when CCC launched an anti-mosquito drive last month but to our great dismay we find that the situation hasn't changed after over a month," said Shuvechha, adding, "We have not seen any CCC worker coming to our area to destroy mosquito larvae in the drains and
canals in the last three months."
Like Shuvechha, many people in different areas of the city are irritated with the problem. Asad Haider, a resident of the Bibirhat area, said he did not see any CCC worker in the neighbourhood working under the drive either.
During a recent visit, this correspondent found drains in many areas including West Bakalia, Shulak Bahar, Bibirhat, East Bakalia, Kapasgola and
Bahaddarhat filled up with plastic and polythene packets along with garbage that deterred water-flow, facilitating a suitable zone for mosquito breeding.
Contacted, Jaharlal Hazari, CCC ward councillor of Anderkilla, said a total of 100 workers went to every ward to clean the drains and spray antimosquito chemicals every day during the programme. Asked about the complaints of residents, he told this correspondent to talk with CCC chief conservancy officer.
Contacted, CCC chief conservancy officer, Shafiqul Mannan Siddique said CCC workers with 110 fogging machines and 300 spray machines went to every ward to destroy mosquito breeding grounds. Asked about the complaints of residents, Mannan said they could cover almost 80 percent of the city during this time.
"Destroying mosquito breeding grounds is an ongoing job of CCC," he said, adding, "Ending of the programme does not mean that we have finished this job. It will continue until the situation is brought under control.”