KARACHI, Oct 21: Dengue fever has sent a wave of concern and insecurity among the people of the city but, on the other hand, it has benefited the individuals and organisations associated with fumigation business, investigations show.

A survey of the outlets offering fumigation services to people reveals that the rising fear among citizens owing to the increasing infliction of dengue fever has prompted people, affluent class in particular, to get their houses fumigated.

The poor and middle class people are also concerned about the life-threatening virus but they simply could not afford the fumigation charges.

Operators of several fumigation companies said they were receiving orders in a large number from their regular and new clients and that their business was flourishing.

“The number of orders is going up every day and this is because of the fear created by the dengue outbreak,” Mohammad Munaf, proprietor of a concern located on Jamshed Road, told Dawn.

He said his company received orders from across the city but most orders came from the posh localities of Clifton, DHA and KDA Scheme-I.

“The residents of middle class localities like Gulshan-i-Iqbal and North Nazimabad also contact us quite infrequently but we have received no orders yet from the areas inhabited by the people forming low-income bracket,” Mr Munaf said.

He said the people belonging to the affluent class were more concerned about the lethal disease because of the damp lawns and greeneries within and around their bungalows where mosquitoes would generally breed without a check.

Raja Hanif, proprietor of another fumigation firm located in DHA Phase-I, said the media had created awareness among people about the dangerous viral hemorrhagic fever which had given a boost to the fumigation and pest control businesses.

“Both the posh and the slum areas are equally exposed to the dangers of dengue for different reasons but what differentiates the two is that the residents of posh areas have enough money to spend on safeguarding their houses through our services,” Mr Hanif said.

Saleem Rizvi, who owns a firm providing fumigation services located in Saddar, said he would normally receive two to three orders from the upscale localities but now the number had risen to more than a dozen per day.

“We also receive orders from Gulshan-i-Iqbal, Nazimabad, North Nazimabad and PECHS,” he said.

Mr Rizvi said that after death of a minor girl of a school in Gulshan-i-Iqbal from dengue recently, he received fumigation order from the same school.

“Many private schools of Gulshan and other towns are placing orders to protect their students from the disease,” he added.

Mohammad Saleem, a wholesaler dealing in pest control substances and insecticides having his concern on University Road, said his company’s sales had increased by at least 40 per cent since the dengue virus had started haunting citizens of this metropolis.

“We supply chemicals and insecticides to retailers and shopkeepers. We also supply some products to our domestic customers and in both cases, our sales have increased by 40 per cent,” he said.

People from low-income group, who could not afford fumigation by a service providing company, do it by themselves after purchasing the chemicals. Besides, they also purchase the anti-mosquitoes mats, coils, etc.

Javed Nagori, a shopkeeper, said that the sale of anti-mosquito mats, coils and power-operated liquid had just doubled since the outbreak. The shop is located in a small locality of Kharadar where scores of other shops reported a similar increase in the sale of such items.

Inquiries show that the sale of mosquito repellants, coils, mats and liquid insecticides has reached its peak in lower and middle class areas.

"I have my regular clients who purchase coils and mats daily or on alternate days but some of them also purchase in a quantity sufficient for the whole month," Javed said.

Abdul Karim, a labourer residing in Liaquatabad, said he had to buy a mat every day to protect my family from the mosquito-borne diseases. He said what he was spending was supposed to be spent by the city government.

"There was a time when we would see the municipality launching vector control campaigns on a regular basis which would help prevent an outbreak of such epidemics, but it is not being done for decades now," Karim said.

A small family spends a minimum of Rs60-90 while a bigger one has to spend three or even four times more under this head.

It has become a profitable business for many multinational and local pharmaceutical firms which is indicative of the new brands being introduced by these companies quite frequently.

"Millions of people spend hundreds of millions of rupees in Karachi alone to protect themselves from mosquitoes," an executive of a pharmaceutical firm said.