Mosquito Menace Torments Naogaon Town Residents; District Dengue Cases Reach 734

As evening falls, the picture of Naogaon town changes. Even with doors and windows closed, there is no relief. From study tables to living rooms, offices to businesses, mosquitoes roam everywhere. Coils, sprays and electric bats — none of them seems to work. Residents of the municipal area are tormented by mosquito attacks as evening advances; students' studies are disrupted and working people's normal activities are hampered. With the number of dengue cases also rising in the district, extra anxiety has grown among the public.

Residents of the municipal area complain that unplanned heaps of garbage, dirty drains and sewers, ditches and various water bodies are creating a favourable environment for mosquito breeding. As these places have not been properly cleaned for a long time, the situation is becoming more complicated. Mosquito-killing medicine is sprayed in some places, but no visible benefit is seen. Moving around normally, indoors or outdoors, has become difficult especially after evening. Many residents are not satisfied with the municipality's activities to control mosquitoes.

Naogaon Municipality, established in 1963, was upgraded to second class in 1980 and to first class in 1989. Covering about 38.36 square kilometres, the municipality has 9 wards and 56 mahallas. One source puts its population at about 150,000, while another mentions 180,649 people.

Visits to different parts of the town and talks with residents found that the nuisance of mosquitoes and insects has increased for about a month. Alongside homes, mosquitoes are also present in hospitals, the bus terminal, offices and courts, businesses and public gathering places. From children to the elderly, no one is spared.

Public health experts say that killing flying mosquitoes alone is not enough to control mosquitoes; greater importance must be given to identifying breeding sites and destroying larvae.

Naogaon Deputy Civil Surgeon Dr Munir Ali Akand said female mosquitoes lay eggs all year round, but the tendency to lay eggs increases as temperatures rise after winter, and mosquito breeding also happens quickly. Mosquitoes usually breed in drains, ditches, sewers and rotten water, so those places must be kept clean regularly. He said malaria from mosquito bites has declined, but the Aedes mosquito must be considered with special importance because its bite creates serious health risks including dengue. Everyone must be careful that water does not collect on rooftops, in flower pots and in various containers, he said.

Alongside the mosquito nuisance, the dengue situation in the district is also causing concern. According to the Naogaon Civil Surgeon Office, 12 more dengue patients were detected and admitted to various government hospitals in the district in the last 24 hours. However, no dengue death occurred during this period.

According to Civil Surgeon Office statistics, a total of 734 people were infected with dengue in the district from 1 January to 12 November this year. Of them, 705 recovered with treatment and returned home. Currently, 29 people are under treatment in various government hospitals in the district, including the district headquarters hospital. One person has died of dengue in the district so far this year.

Among the patients newly admitted in the last 24 hours, three each were admitted to Patnitala and Niamatpur upazila health complexes, and two each to Atrai, Sapahar and the 250-bed Naogaon General Hospital. Of the 29 currently under treatment, 11 are at Naogaon General Hospital, five each at Patnitala and Sapahar, four at Niamatpur, and two each at Atrai and Porsha upazila health complexes. No dengue patient is currently admitted to other upazila hospitals in the district.

On the municipality's mosquito control initiative, Administrator T M A Momin said spraying of mosquito-killing medicine in drains, ditches and bushes in the municipal area is continuing. Mosquito control through fogger machines has also started and is ongoing to prevent breeding. More effective steps will be taken if necessary, he said.