E-Paper
Open plots with stagnant water pose dengue hazard in Lucknow
At many places, officials find clogged drains, stagnant water, and unattended construction debris, creating ideal conditions for mosquito breeding; challans issued to owners of such properties
LUCKNOW With dengue cases on the rise, locals are worried over irregular/no anti-larval fogging drives and many open plots with stagnant water becoming a breeding ground for mosquitoes.
On Monday, divisional commissioner Roshan Jacob and municipal commissioner Inderjeet Singh carried out an inspection of the Faizullaganj ward and some of the dengue-hit areas of the city, exposing the lack of sanitation.
At many places, officials found clogged drains, stagnant water, and unattended construction debris, creating ideal conditions for mosquito breeding.
The most affected areas from where the dengue cases are being reported include Indira Nagar, Aliganj, Chinhat, Gudamba, BKT, Qaiserbagh and Aishbagh. However, some people complained about poor sanitation and irregular anti-larvae fogging in these areas.
“Indira Nagar has been identified as the worst affected area. Moreover, we have also had to perform anti-larva fogging in homes where mosquitoes were breeding in refrigerators and kitchen utensils. We are conducting the fogging in a phase-wise manner,” said Inderjeet Singh, municipal commissioner.
However, Ayush Raj, a resident of Indira Nagar, one of the affected areas, said, “Fogging is done only when we lodge a complaint on the Lucknow One app, but that too after 10-15 days, and only on the premises of the complainant’s house and not in the whole colony/locality/nearby.”
“We are currently working in Faizullahganj… and have been taking vehicles and flushing out water all day. As a result of heavy anti-larval fogging in the past couple of days, the AQI level of the city had also gone up,” said Singh.
In Jankipuram area, a large vacant plot with dirt and rainwater is one such example. The land is surrounded by high-rise residential buildings where close to 10,000 people reside. “The ground has become a breeding centre for mosquitoes leading to many diseases. Many requests to the LMC for anti-larval spray and fogging have gone unheard,” said Vivek Sharma, resident.
Chief medical officer, Lucknow, Dr Manoj Agrawal said, “In case of vacant plots that have turned into breeding grounds for mosquitoes, we are issuing challans amounting to anywhere between ₹200 and ₹5,000 and notices to the owners of those properties.”
“We also have a helpline where anyone can call, if they need anti-larval spraying/fogging in their area urgently,” he added.
