Bhubaneswar, July 29: The Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) has sought assistance from the Regional Medical Research Centre (RMRC), the Vector Control Research Centre (VCRC) and the Pondichery and Kalinga Institute of Medical Sciences (KIMS) to tackle the mosquito menace across the capital city.

The rapid breeding of mosquitoes had already raised question marks on the ability of health workers of the BMC. The failure to tackle the issue could be attributed to the suspension of the supply of vector control oil by the Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) since last year.

The vector control oil yielded positive result. However, the IOC stopped providing service to the BMC and the Cuttack Municipal Corporation (CMC) following a controversy related to the misappropriation in the oil supply.

“The BMC is using Abete, one type of vector control medicine, at drains, sewage and waterlogged areas. But it is not as effective as the oil supplied by the IOC,” said BMC commissioner Gadadhar Parida. “Though the present medicines are being applied, yet it is apprehended that after a continuous application of it for a few months, mosquitoes might develop a resistance to it,” he said.

“Specialists at the RMRC and the KIMS have developed a microbe for controlling mosquito population effectively. The VCRC has also specialists with advance technology to prevent mosquito breeding,” he added.

“We have started desiltation and cleaning of the city drains,” said Dipti Ranjan Mohapatra, technical assistant, BMC health office.

“The experts of the VCRC will reach here shortly to demonstrate the procedure to our staff to tackle the issue,” he added.

The RMRC and the KIMS are also ready to help the BMC to initiate mosquito resilient mechanism.

“We have already started providing mosquito resilient training to the health workers,” said Dr. Santanu Kar, director, RMRC.

Meanwhile, the BMC commissioner has instructed all ward officers to prepare the lists of sites where the problem of waterlogging and choked drains still remains. “A number of 10 major natural drains have been choked at several places due to unauthorised constructions,” said the BMC commissioner.

The BMC health office is also running shortage of sweepers resulting in delay to carry out the desiltation and cleaning works. “The health office should be equipped with 20 sweepers for every one lakh population. Presently there are barely 140 sweepers instead of the required 180. Due to lack of adequate number of sweepers we have to manage the show with limited staff” Mohapatra added.