Stagnant water, garbage on govt agency premises hampering effectiveness of mosquito repellent: Mayor Atiq

Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) Mayor Atiqul Islam on Sunday said  the failure of government agencies to remove stagnant water and garbage from their premises is hampering the effective spraying of dengue mosquito repellent.

He made the remarks at a meeting of the National Committee on prevention of dengue and other mosquito-borne diseases, organised by the Local Government Division (LGD). The meeting was held to review the activities of city corporations and other stakeholders in preventing dengue and other mosquito-borne diseases across the country.

Atiqul Islam said, "The government offices in the city have lots of spaces. It is the responsibility of the respective agencies to keep their premises clean. But not all places are being kept clean properly.

"If each agency does not keep its own premises and infrastructure clean, it will not be possible to spray mosquito repellents, and even if we spray, it will be of no use."

He urged the concerned agencies to keep stagnant water and garbage from their premises clean.

The mayor also requested Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh to clean the canal beside Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport. He said the third terminal of the airport will be inaugurated on 7 October, and the prime minister will visit. The canal needs to be cleaned before that.

The meeting was chaired by Local Government and Rural Development Minister Tajul Islam. Secretaries of the Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of Public Administration, and other ministries and departments attended the meeting. Mayors of other city corporations and district commissioners from across the country joined the meeting online.

In response to Atiqul Islam's statement, LGD Secretary Mohammad Ibrahim asked the agencies to submit a work plan on how they will keep their premises clean within the next 15 days.

Minister Tajul Islam said the government has already taken steps to raise awareness among the people, and more needs to be done. "Because Aedes mosquitoes breed at home. If cleanliness is ensured in every house and other places, the spread of this mosquito will be reduced."

Secretary of the Ministry of Public Administration Abdullah Al Masud Chowdhury said awareness can be raised through teachers, imams of mosques, and other stakeholders.

DNCC Chief Executive Officer Selim Reza said various initiatives have been taken to raise awareness among the people. He said that DNCC has sent 40 million SMS, made phone calls to 15 million people, and distributed 300,000 books in schools and colleges. "Despite all these efforts, there is no satisfactory awareness."

Ministry of Health Additional Secretary Dr Md Akhtaruzzaman said, "No death is desirable. However, it is also true that the dengue death rate in Bangladesh is lower than in many other countries in the world. The death rate in Bangladesh is 0.49% while the global average death rate is around 1%."

An official from the Directorate General of Health Services said that caution is needed because all four types of dengue are being reported in Bangladesh. If a person is infected with dengue for the second time, he or she must seek medical attention in a hospital.

Recently, Culex mosquitoes have also been seen. If Aedes and Culex mosquitoes combine, the situation could worsen, he added.

Other speakers said dengue is spreading more in coastal areas. Preventive measures need to be taken in coastal districts immediately.

On Sunday, dengue death toll crossed 1000-mark for first time in Bangladesh's history.