KARACHI, Oct 17: While more than 18 people have fallen victim to dengue fever and hundreds more have been suffering various diseases spread by insects, the city government, cantonment boards, and the towns concerned are yet to launch a major anti-insecticide aerial spray, especially on the two major city tributaries.

Moreover, poor sanitation in the 18 towns and the areas governed by the cantonment boards has been blamed for the spread of mosquitoes and insects.

In the absence of an anti-insecticide aerial spray, mosquitoes, flies and other insects have swarmed the city, and sources said that the city government was still undecided over launching a major anti-insecticide spray operation, especially over Malir and Lyari rivers, and adjoining localities where swarms of mosquitoes had invaded houses, schools, hospitals etc.

Although the towns had earlier made claims to have carried out fumigation after draining out rainwater soon after the rains, the residents of various localities, including North Karachi, North Nazimabad, Korani, Landhi, Gulistan-i-Jauhar, Gulshan-i-Iqbal, Shah Faisal Colony, Malir, and Bin Qasim said that the towns either did not carry out fumigation at all or indulged in mere photo sessions.

Inquiries revealed that the towns concerned, which were supposed to continue the fumigation and cleanliness exercise throughout the year, had failed to keep the areas clean and to carry out proper fumigation, especially near hospitals, markets and at garbage dumping sites.

The concerned staff in the city government has also been delaying the cleaning of storm water drains.

In the absence of removal of silt and trash, grass and other wild plants have grown as tall as six feet hampering the flow of sewage, which shows that drains have not been cleaned for a long time what to speak of sprays on storm-water drains.

Owing to the failure of the authorities in ensuring cleanliness in various localities, and prompt disposal of trash and garbage, a continuous growth of insects, flies and mosquitoes has been taking place which is ultimately spreading malaria, scabies and other diseases.

At many places, accumulation of sewage or rainwater has resulted in extreme unhygienic conditions. Soon after monsoon showers flies had invaded the city, and now mosquitoes have swarmed towns, and it was mainly because of poor sanitary conditions, said an elderly man.Experts said that use of conventional methods for fumigation should not be ignored as with the passage of time, civic agencies concerned had been closing storm-water drains and transferring their malaria control staff to some other departments.

They said that sprays were prescribed soon after rains, but the towns had either not carried out spray or had indulged in selective sprays that led to the growth of small insects.

“Although diseases had broken out soon after rains, the situation was not so clear at that time, as a large number of people did not report to major hospitals, but with the passage of time, various other diseases, caused by insects, have broken out which have been causing an alarm among people, and health care providers” said a doctor. The experts are of the view that situation may not be controlled unless aerial spray is carried out at the earliest.

Moreover, all major hospitals where patients are reporting should be properly fumigated to save the staff and other patients from getting complications during treatment.

The Sindh governor had ordered the authorities sometime back to ensure fumigation in various localities, but the directives are yet to be followed. However, the directives should have been for the entire Sindh as a large number of patients visit the JPMC and other city hospitals after their failure to get proper treatment at their hometowns, especially in the interior of Sindh.