The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : Waging war against the winged vermin

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Sep 11, 2006
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

Waging war against the winged vermin

Staff Reporter

SPREADING AWARENESS: School children on a campaign in the old city on Sunday educating old city residents about the need to contain mosquito breeding.

Hyderabad: Residents in parts of old city were in for a pleasant surprise on Sunday. Schoolgirls in uniforms turned up at their doorsteps and waxed eloquent about the need for keeping their premises clean.

"Chikungunya comes not due to chicken but due to mosquitoes. They breed in stagnant water. Even a spoonful of water left in small containers like tyres, bottles, coconut shells, flower pots, air coolers is enough for mosquitoes to breed," explained Farheen, a ninth standard student of Scholars Model School.

To many housewives in Talabkatta and Eedi Bazar this was news. Even as they listened in disbelief, the children made their way into homes and looked around for water left undisturbed for weeks in tiny containers. Having explained the dos and don'ts, they pasted stickers on doors, which proclaimed, "We will not allow mosquitoes to breed." It was also an indication that the particular house was covered.

Three-month campaign

It is a campaign against the winged carrier. COVA, Satyam Foundation and Mediating Medicare have joined to check mosquito breeding in old city. The three-month campaign was kicked off on August 5 in different parts of old city where unhygienic conditions prevail.

Rainy season

About 100 schools children and concerned local citizens are taking part in this sustained campaign on alternate Sundays. "We are adopting a multi-pronged strategy to contain the mosquito menace. Now that rainy season is over there is a danger of diseases like malaria, Japanese encephalitis and filarial, which are transmitted by mosquitoes, spreading," said U. Balaji, director, Satyam Foundation.

How is the response? "It is encouraging. People are listening when told about the threat posed by mosquitoes," said Abbas Husain Junaidi, principal, Scholars Model School.

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