The New Town Kolkata Development Authority (NKDA) is taking precautions against dengue ahead of monsoon. “Just because Covid-19 is taking its toll does not mean dengue will spare us,” said NKDA chairman Debashis Sen.

Fumigation has been done in several places. “Another method is working even better. We are identifying breeding spots of larvae and spraying larvaecide there. We deployed a boat in Kestopur Canal, which flows to the east of New Town by Sanjeeva Town, to eliminate larvae hotspots in the water with BTI (Bacillus thuringiensis subspecies israelensis, a group of bacteria used as biological control agents for larvae). We did it intensively over a week. The canal is rather dirty, because of sewerage discharge and stagnant, which is ideal for mosquito breeding.” BTI is also being sprayed in under-construction buildings and wherever else stagnant water is being found.

NKDA has set up a volunteer group to monitor the mosquito situation. “They talk to residents in their respective areas to check if the mosquito menace has reduced. Till last winter, we could not hold programmes at Eco Park without burning mosquito repellent coils,” Sen said.

A video conference was held with the volunteers last Saturday to seek feedback on whether the situation had improved after the vector control drive.