Annisul Huq, Mayor of Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC), yesterday expressed his sadness and sympathy for the city dwellers, who suffered from the Chikungunya. He said, “The city corporation authorities have taken all probable measures to control mosquitoes and prevent Chikungunya. But some factors have now become cause of hindrance.”
He further said, “The viral disease Chikungunya has taken an epidemic form in the city. But, the city corporation is not responsible for it as Aedes mosquitoes don’t breed in drains or wetland. It breeds in clear water that is mostly kept inside homes and residences, even in under construction buildings. But, city corporation workers cannot enter inside of houses or residents of the people to stop mosquitoes breeding or hang mosquito nets. Consequently, people should be aware about it so that Aedes mosquitoes can’t get chance for reproduction.”
Mayor said this to the journalists at a press briefing on awareness building campaign for Chikung-unya at its Gulshan office yesterday. During the period, he also disclosed different initiatives taken by the city corporation authorities to prevent Aedes mosquitoes.
He said, “Most city dwellers think that the city corporation is cent- percent responsible for outbreak of Chikungunya. But such perception is totally wrong.” The outbreak of Chikungunya has spread out across the city for the last few months. If someone is affected with its virus, he feels fever along with severe pain in the body. Though the disease does not cause death, the affected persons suffer a lot. Earlier, Health and Family Welfare Minister Mohammad Nasim in a remark blamed the city corporation authorities for epidemic of Chikungunya.
Refuting the allegation, Annisul Haque said, “DNCC is working hard to control mosquito breeding. There is an allocation of Tk 23 crore in the city corporation for mosquito destruction. But the expenditure for medicine spray may exceed Tk 30 crore due to its huge use. We are now using 387 hand operated machines, 255 fogger machines, 10 wheelbarrow machines and one vehicle mounted fogger machine for mosquito destruction. If there were early warning system, we would become able to take more effective measures to prevent it.
Ultimately, we are not at all responsible for its outbreak.” DNCC Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Mesbaul Islam, Chief
Health Officer Brigadier General SMM Saleh Bhuiyan, Chief Waste Management Officer Comrade Abdur Razzaque, Epidemic Specialist Professor Mahmudur Rahman, Insectologist Dr Towhid Ahmed and Dr Manzur Chowdhury, among others, were present there.
The specialists stressed the need for making awareness among the people beside destruction of mosquitoes. Replying to a question, Epidemic Specialist Professor Mahmudur Rahman said, “Considering the number of affected people in the city, terming it epidemic form will not be wrong.”
He further said, “The virus of Chikungunya has come from neighboring countries including Delhi (India), Kalkata (India), Karachi (Pakistan) and Sri Langka as communication between these countries has become more developed than the previous period. People must use mosquito nets so that the virus can’t transmit from the other (person). If someone is affected with the virus, he needs use individual mosquito net so that mosquito can’t carry the virus from the affected body to other inmates of his family.”
Endorsing his comment Insectologist Dr Towhid Ahmed said, “Though the situation has reached an epidemic form, however, we can’t declare it epidemic. Only the health ministry can do it.”
