Taking serious note of mosquito menace in Bhubaneswar: Odisha Minister

The Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) will soon have four more fogging machines to tackle the mosquito menace in the Capital city. This decision was taken at a recent high-level meeting held to address the increasing mosquito population in Bhubaneswar.

Following the meeting, Odisha Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Krushna Chandra Mohapatra said that the mosquito population in the Capital city has increased by many folds and it needs stronger control measures. 

"As fogging is currently conducted only in the evening and it takes 2-3 hours to complete a ward, the existing resources are insufficient. To address this, we have decided to procure four additional fogging machines," said the Urban Development Minister.

He further stated that the meeting also highlighted a shortage of manpower for mosquito control efforts. "To overcome this challenge, we have planned to increase recruitment within the next four months, as per requirements. Both fogging and mosquito oil spraying will be carried out as needed," he assured.

Also Read: Winter departs! Met dept issues alert for next 4-5 days as temperature rises

There will be fogging once in seven days on both sides of the Daya West Canal, which is known as a mosquito breeding ground. BMC will also identify mosquito-prone areas or 'hot spots' across the city and take targeted actions to stop mosquito breeding at those places, the Minister said.

With these steps, the authorities hope to curb the inflation of diseases such as dengue and malaria, which are greatly attributed to the mass breeding of mosquitoes. 

Besides, residents have been encouraged to do their part by keeping the surroundings clean and removing stagnant water sources.

Also Read: Fines, jail for taking selfies near trains or tracks: East Coast Railway sets strict guidelines