Nagpur: Except June, Nagpur witnessed heavy rains this year, creating trouble for citizens as several water-logged areas have become breeding grounds for mosquitoes. Due to the rise in mosquito population, the city has registered over 400 patients of dengue in the past six months. In the last one and a half months alone, several hospitals in Nagpur reported 230 suspected cases of dengue.
Over 35 dengue patients have been found in June and July alone. Unconfirmed reports stated that a girl at Vijay Nagar in Kalamna area died of dengue, as claimed by her family. Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC), however, refuted the claim saying that the girl suffered from typhoid. When NMC collected 30 samples of that area, three tested positive, including a 14-year old boy.
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Tuesday 21 Jan. 2025
The Health Department of NMC, over the last six months, surveyed over 7 lakh houses. The reasons for the rise in the water-borne infections/diseases include heavy rains, inadequate drainage of water, stagnant water, overflowing sewages, faecal and urinary contaminations. All such conditions are leading to increased breeding of mosquitoes, flies, insects, and growth of bacteria and fungus on dampened surfaces, etc.
NMC checked over 23 lakh coolers, containers in the city. The survey got momentum in June. The team reportedly discovered dengue patients in over 550 houses. Apart from dengue, waterborne diseases can be classified as vector-borne, direct consumption of contaminated water and food, entry through contacts. It can be bacterial, viral, fungal, and parasitic infections. All over the city, lot of construction activities are going on. The people involved in these activities are ignorant of certain things.
For example, the road construction is being done in a haphazard manner, the remains of the material is thrown on the sides of the road. While constructing roads, no care is being taken to prevent water from getting logged. There are several examples of callous attitude of Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) as far as construction of roads is concerned. Near Tukadoji statue, the contractor left a part of the road half constructed. It has taken a part of a small pond on the road. Every time it rains the water gets stored in that artificial pond leading to the formation of larvae there.
Similarly, a lot of stored water becomes visible under Gowari Flyover near Dhiran Kanya Vidyalaya at Sitabuldi, after a shower of rain. Shockingly, the civic body is not taking care of its own school premises. Take the example of Gokulpeth Hindi Primary School at Ramnagar being run by NMC. The heavy construction work on that road has made the area in front of school muddy or slippery. The road remains muddy for several days even though there is no rain. This muddy part becomes the breeding grounds for mosquitoes. With schools running, the children there are most vulnerable to water-borne diseases.
The famous Sanchayani building at Khamla Square lying unused for the past so many years. Water is accumulated in that building and remains there till it gets dried naturally.
