While mosquito bites have increased manifold in Aundh, Sangvi and the nearby areas due to water hyacinth enveloping the Mula River which flows along the border between the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) and Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC), the civic bodies are busy passing the buck instead of taking the onus for resolving the problem. The residents have raised multiple complaints with the PMC and PCMC, and are of the view that the problem crops up every year and begs a permanent solution.
Vaishali Patkar of the Aundh Vikas Mandal said that the problem of mosquito bites in Aundh has increased manifold and that residents of Aundh and Sangvi face this problem every year. “This year too, the river has become a breeding ground for mosquitoes as it is full of water hyacinth. It becomes impossible for us to keep our doors and windows open in the evening. This poses a high risk of vector-borne diseases like dengue and chikungunya amongst others. The municipal corporation spends lakhs of rupees to remove the water hyacinth every year but there is no permanent solution to this problem as it appears again” she said.
Nikhil Kamble, a resident of Sangvi, said, “The mosquito problem is directly linked to the water hyacinth on the river which flows through our locality; it is causing serious health issues. It feels like the municipal corporation does not care for the residents of our area as it has failed to take action on time. The municipal corporations do not act unless we raise this issue with them every year.”
Mangesh Dighe, environment officer, PMC, said that they have not yet started the work to remove the water hyacinth. “We have put up a net inside the river to collect the hyacinth. We cannot keep cleaning the hyacinth every time as it comes flowing from the PCMC jurisdiction. We are going to wait for a few more days and then start removing the hyacinth,” he said.
{{/usCountry}}Mangesh Dighe, environment officer, PMC, said that they have not yet started the work to remove the water hyacinth. “We have put up a net inside the river to collect the hyacinth. We cannot keep cleaning the hyacinth every time as it comes flowing from the PCMC jurisdiction. We are going to wait for a few more days and then start removing the hyacinth,” he said.
{{/usCountry}}A senior officer from the PCMC environment department, said, “We have already started work to remove the water hyacinth from the river. The work to remove the water hyacinth is likely to be completed by Saturday. The PMC should have taken the initiative but since it did not act, the PCMC has started the work. While the river falls in our jurisdiction, the river bank falls in the PMC jurisdiction,” the official said.