E-Paper
Less sting: Climatic variations curtailed dengue mosquito breeding in Lucknow
Intense rainfall episodes flushed out larvae from potential habitats, dry periods reduced accumulation of stagnant water, say experts
LUCKNOW In past years, September and October were typically marked by the city grappling with a surge in dengue cases, alongside families desperately seeking platelets for hospitalized loved ones. But in 2025, the situation took a positive turn, with reported cases nearly halving compared to 2024.
Data from the district malaria control office reveals a remarkable 49% decrease in dengue cases, with only 323 individuals affected from January to October this year, a significant drop from 636 in the same period last year. Moreover, chikungunya cases have also seen a decline, falling from 71 in 2024 to just 43 this year.
Experts attributed this to the climatic variations, which curtailed the breeding of aedes aegypti, the dengue-causing mosquito.
The mosquito usually breeds in stagnated water and dengue cases start surfacing in July-end. The peak comes in September and October, before the let-up in October. However, this year, it’s mid-October and no dengue outbreak has been witnessed. “The district with a population of about 40 lakh has just one active dengue case so far,” said district malaria officer (DMO) Ritu Srivastava.
She credited the collective efforts of 12 departments of the local administration for the decline in dengue and chikungunya cases. The DMO said there was also a possibility that immature larvae at the habitats were apparently flushed out during intense rainfall episodes.
“Climatic variations curtailed mosquito breeding, as dry periods reduced stagnant water accumulation while intense rainfall episodes flushed out immature larvae from potential habitats. The overall climate conditions in 2025 created a less favourable environment for sustained Aedes mosquito proliferation, contributing significantly to the observed decline in dengue cases,” said Dr Sheetal Verma, faculty, department of microbiology at the King George’s Medical University.
Experts said dengue may not pose problems this year as day and night temperatures were going down.
According to a senior Met department official, extended rains kept the temperatures in Lucknow a bit lower than the previous year.
Mohd Danish, senior scientist at Lucknow Meteorological department, said the normal range of rainfall in Lucknow during the monsoon season (June 1 to September 30) is 683.2mm, whereas, it rained 661.8 mm in 2025 – a 3% deficit. The year 2024 saw 696.7 mm, which was 2% surplus.
Municipal commissioner Gaurav Kumar said there has been a decrease in the number of dengue cases as well as related complaints across the city. He said the LMC control room has received fewer complaints as compared to last year. “Drone fogging operations have helped reduce the incidence of vector-borne diseases this year. All machines are operational and all areas are being covered,” he added.
