DIPANKAR ROY, Khulna

With warmer days already setting in ahead of summer, residents of Khulna city are grappling with an alarming surge in the mosquito population.

From dusk till dawn, mosquitoes from nearby drains and stagnant waterbodies swarm residential areas and invade homes.

Residents complained that the Khulna City Corporation has failed to take adequate mosquito control measures, leading to an alarming rise in the mosquito population, particularly in areas such as Gallamari, Bastuhara, Tutpara, Banda Bazar, Daulatpur, Khalishpur, Shibbari, Bosupara, Phulbarigate, Nirala, Sonadanga, Boyra and Mujgunni.

Public health experts cautioned that without timely and effective intervention, the situation could deteriorate further as temperatures rise in the coming days, deepening the city’s health and sanitation challenges.

Officials of KCC’s conservancy department said 56 people are currently engaged in spraying anti-mosquito oil round the clock. Besides, over 300 cleaners have been cleaning drains and bushes, common mosquito breeding grounds.

KCC has also almost completed the Tk 823 crore project, “Drainage System Development (Phase I)”, which officials said is expected to reduce the mosquito menace in the near future.

Mizanur Rahman, a shop owner at Boyra Bazar, said the mosquito menace has been affecting his daily business.

“Customers can’t stay in the shop even for a few minutes due to mosquitoes from nearby open drains,” he said. “I burn coils and use sprays, but nothing seems to work.”

“Unless the drains are regularly cleaned and sprayed with larvicide, shopkeepers like us will continue to have our businesses affected adversely,” he added.

Tahmina Sultana, a homemaker from Daulatpur Shil Para, said even during the daytime, mosquitoes are visible inside the house, disrupting activities including cooking, resting and helping children study.

Jahidul Islam, a student of Govt BL College living in a rented house near Khulna University, said he has been finding it difficult to concentrate on his studies at night due to mosquitoes.

“Using coils for hours gives me headaches, while electric repellents are too expensive for daily use,” he added.

He also said landlords rarely take preventive measures to keep the surroundings clean.

Mohendranath Sen, member secretary of Khulna Civil Society, said inadequate fogging and larvicide spraying across the city have allowed mosquitoes to breed and proliferate beyond control.

Dr Suzat Ahmed, director of Khulna Medical College Hospital, said the hospital has recently been witnessing a steady rise in the number of patients with mosquito-borne diseases.

SEE PAGE 9 COL 4