Mosquito breeding found at DDA, DJB premises: Civic body officials

New Delhi: The MCD has identified several mosquito breeding spots, including the premises of the DDA office, Delhi Jal Board pumping station, police stations and metro parking sites, civic body officials said on Thursday.

Around 37,000 cases of breeding were recorded in the last six months, they said.

The Municipal Corporation of Delhi has issued around 40,000 ‘challans’ and legal notices to concerned officials and owners of the properties where the breeding was found during this time for violating the Malaria and other Vector Borne Diseases Bye-Laws 1975 Act.

The MCD found the mosquito-genic conditions in places like fridge trays, containers, rooftop tanks, and construction sites during its annual inspection exercise. According to a senior civic body official, the mosquito breeding was found at two DDA offices in Dwarka Sector 8 and Manglapuri, DJB pumping station in Yamuna Vihar, the Delhi police station in Bhajanpura, and a metro station parking in Ranjeet Nagar.

It also found mosquito breeding at a construction site in Delhi University’s South Campus, the Central Reserve Police Force office in Sonia Vihar, and the Central Bank in Karol Bagh during the inspection.

Asked if the waterlogging caused by monsoon showers had led to an increase in mosquito breeding in the last week, the official said that the situation was under control so far. However, the breeding of mosquitoes may arise if rains continue to inundate the drains.

Monsoon showers that hit the national capital on June 28 brought the city to its keens and led to waterlogging in many parts, including upscale areas. The waterlogging has raised concern among a section of people as monsoon provides a suitable environment for mosquitoes to breed.

“The mosquito breeding does not take place in freshwater. So, the current waterlogging is not a matter of concern until the water remains there for long and becomes stagnant. It takes about 15 days for a larva to become an adult mosquito,” the official explained.

According to the report, there has been a spike in the number of such breedings found during home inspections in the last four years since 2020.