Kolkata Community Portal || Kolkata Community Portal - News, Reviews, Comments & Discussion

KMC (Kolkata Municipal Corporation) spends Rs 20 lakh on `ineffective' fogging

By Mrs Gupta, Section Health
Posted on Mon Oct 09, 2006 at 06:16:03 AM EST

Fog of synthetic pyrethrum doesn't reach most mosquitoes, also bad for environment

After last year's dengue outbreak in the city, experts had recommended a ban on anti-mosquito fogging, saying it is a futile exercise and a waste of public money. However, a year later, the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) is in no mood to pay heed to the experts' opinion more due to the visual impact of fogging than any other reason.

Besides, it's a money spinner, too, for some.

KMC's health officials are continuing with fogging, utilising chemicals that are not merely ineffective in killing the mosquito, but are "detrimental" to the environment too.

In 2005, when the dengue outbreak had "officially" infected over 3,200 citizens, claiming several lives, KMC had sought advice from vector-borne diseases experts. Responding to the experts' opinion, Mayor Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya had said fogging will be discontinued in future.

A year later, things haven't changed much.

On condition of anonymity, officials told Newsline that thousands of rupees the figure runs into lakhs for a given year are being spent on the exercise.

At present, the KMC is utilising around 130 portable fogging machines through its 15 borough offices (local civic administrative units in the city). Along with these machines, two "Leco-120D" machines mounted on vehicles are also doing the rounds of the city, daily.

Click on "Full Story" for more)

Sources in the civic administration said the two vehicles doing the rounds alone incur an expenditure of Rs 10,000 per day. The public money being fogged away, annually, is over Rs 20 lakh. This apart, the over 130 machines, too, incur huge expenditure.

And not ready to fall in line with the experts, KMC is procuring 80 more machines this year.

Dr A.K. Hati, former director of Calcutta School of Tropical Medicine and eminent entomologist, who was one of the experts from whom KMC had sought guidance, said: "Fogging is ineffective because it doesn't kill mosquitoes. Fog of synthetic pyrethrum (commonly a constituent of the fog generated by machines) doesn't reach most mosquitoes, which now sense the fog and move away. Even indoor fogging is ineffective. The fog is also detrimental to environment."

Hati said the civic body that boasts of "informing, communicating and educating" doesn't educate itself.

Health officials at KMC told Newsline that they have no options but to obey their political bosses. "We know it's an eyewash, but we aren't decision makers," said a senior official.

Defending the civic board, Mayor Bhattacharya denied that fogging can be stopped completely.

"We can do away with outdoor fogging. But indoor fogging will continue," he said.

Source- The Indian Express, Dated,October-09,2006

< Medha's new fight is now against SEZs | Now,Tollywood can shake hands with Bollywood >