KARACHI: The Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) has failed to launch an anti-dengue and malaria fumigation campaign in Karachi despite the fact that the malaria and dengue cases are rising day by day in the city.

Sources at the Sindh health department have said that anti-dengue and malaria fumigation drive could not be started yet despite the lapse of five months, putting scores of lives in Karachi in danger.

The mosquito larva is breeding rapidly due to poor sanitation conditions in the city, but no effective measure has been made so far to control the prevalence of dengue, malaria and other vector-borne diseases.

The KMC has failed to launch anti-dengue fumigation campaign in the city for what is described as ‘shortage of funds’.

Although, Prevention and Control Programme for Dengue in Sindh is conducting fumigation in select areas of Karachi, but high-ups of the KMC have failed to devise any strategy to control dengue, malaria and vector-borne diseases.

The monsoon rains usually lead to formation of pockets of dirty water which are the main breeding grounds for mosquitoes. The usual breeding grounds for mosquitoes are nurseries, graveyards, lakes, ponds, swimming pools, tyre shops, water pumping stations/hydrants, construction cities, waste and dump areas.

A total of 451 dengue cases have been reported across Sindh.

Published in Dawn, June 7th, 2018