KARACHI, Aug 20: Despite claims, the city government and other civic agencies have yet to launch a fumigation campaign to eliminate mosquitoes and flies spawned by the ponds and puddles left by the torrential rains in the city.

Concerned residents said that the rainwater had accumulated in various localities in the metropolis and the city government and other civic agencies had not been able to drain it out. They said the ponds and puddles of dirty water had become breeding grounds for mosquitoes and flies, which had made their lives miserable.

They said the flies and mosquitoes carried germs of various diseases and could cause epidemics in the affected areas.

Residents of Bath Island, Clifton and Defence Housing Authority said the rainwater mixed with sewage overflowing from chocked gutters played havoc on their lives. They suggested that until the civic agencies could drain out the stagnant water, they should spray these stinky pools with insecticides to avert the threat of epidemics.

Meanwhile, Dr Tariq Moghal, Medical Officer at Casualty Department of Civil Hospital, told PPI that around 20 cases of gastroenteritis were being reported at the hospital in each of the three shifts. “At least 50 to 60 patients of gastroenteritis are being treated every day,” he said.

Doctors at Abbasi Shaheed Hospital also stated that they were receiving up to 90 gastroenteritis cases daily. A similar situation is witnessed at other government and private hospitals.

Fortunately none of these patients has succumbed to his disease, and this shows that the situation is well under control as yet.

However, residents of the localities where several people had fallen victim to water-borne diseases appeared scared and severely criticised the authorities for turning a blind eye towards the supply of contaminated water since July 31, when the city received first widespread showers of the season.

They pointed out that the KWSB had taken no measures to rectify the fault responsible for the contamination despite repeated complaints lodged by the area people.