‘Sting operation’ stumps Ahmedabad civic body

AHMEDABAD: Deadly mosquitoes can multiply their numbers anywhere — even at places usually considered improbable for mosquito breeding.
Next time, you go for a walk at the Law Garden or any other green area, you may find mosquito breeding in a tree hollow.

An AMC health team, which was on a routine check in Law Garden area, was shocked to see mosquito breeding in a tree hollow.
A tree hollow or a tree hole is a semi-enclosed cavity which is naturally formed in the trunk or the branch of a tree. Such semi-enclosed cavity is often home to mosquitoes.
Bhavin Solanki, AMC medical health officer, said, “When the staff took out water from the hollow they were surprised to find mosquitoes.”
A senior officer from the health department said, “When a small family lives in a house which has many bedrooms and toilets, one or even more toilets remain unused for a long period. Such toilets, if not cleaned on regular basis, often breed mosquitoes.”
An AMC team recently found such a mosquito-breeding bathroom in a luxurious flat in Satellite.
Solanki said even unused toilets should be cleared at least once in four days.
The AMC teams found mosquitoes breeding in many garden fountains, besides unused pots left in open during the summer. “Cattle ponds made outside societies also found to be breeding grounds for mosquitoes,” he said.
Another senior officer said that it has been noticed that in some of the societies buckets are used to collect water from AC outlets. Mosquitoes were found in such buckets too.
The officer said that scrap lying outside in the verandas are common sites for mosquito breeding. “At a place in the eastern part of the city, we found scrap covered with a plastic sheet. Rain water had accumulated on the sheet and mosquitoes were found breeding there,” he said.