Dhaka: A vast breeding ground for mosquitoes

Lakes, canals, ponds and other waterbodies in Dhaka are becoming a safe breeding ground for mosquitoes due to insufficient cleaning efforts, said entomologists.

Mirpur, Kalyanpur, Airport, Khilkhet, Bhatara, Badda, Banasree, Goran, Khilgaon, Basabo, Mugda, Shonir Akhra, Dholaipar, Mohammadpur and Adabor have earned a bad name as ‘mosquito farms’.

Uttara, Banani, Gulshan, Dhanmondi lake and Hatirjheel are also part of the vast mosquito breeding ground.

At least 26 canals in Dhaka lost their waterflow leaving the stagnant water as the mosquito breeding ground. Potholed streets, broken drains, ditches and construction sites in different areas in the city also have stagnant water contributing to mosquito breeding. 

Kudrat Ali, a resident of Hajipara neighbourhood in Khilkhet, said authorities are often seen spraying mosquito repellent in the area but breeding grounds are never touched. “Sometimes I see them fogging in the area but the waste dumped here is never cleaned.”  

Residents of Motijheel complained the lake behind Bangladesh Bank was never cleaned and also mosquito repellents were not sprayed ever.

“This lake is nothing but a mosquito farm,” said Mohammad Sultan Miah, councillor of ward 7, Dhaka South City Corporation.

“Sometimes our temporary workers clean water hyacinths and our mosquito eradication workers do larvicide but that is not sufficient,” he added.

Dhaka has the perfect environment to be a safe breeding ground for mosquitoes, said Nuzhat Nasreen, scientific officer at the Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research.

“Culex mosquitoes can easily breed in stagnant water,” she said. “It would cause less mosquitoes if the water flowed down to river,” she added.   

Both Dhaka North and South City Corporations said the waterbodies are owned by Rajuk, Public Works Department, Civil Aviation, Bangladesh Railway and other government organisations with a few privately-owned ones. According to them, it is not in their purview of their responsibility and budget to clean these waterbodies.

“All these authorities are independent and they should maintain the waterbodies owned by them. What can the city corporation do in this case?” said Commodore Abdur Razzak, chief waste management officer at Dhaka North City Corporation.

“The city corporation will definitely help them but those who own the waterbodies should take the initiative.”