Ablution ponds teeming with mosquito larvae
Entomologists say mosque ponds must be sprayed.
LAHORE:
Ponds used for ablution in historic mosques in the Walled City are teeming with dengue mosquito larvae and in case of rain could become a major source of further infections, according to government entomologists.
“We were shocked at how many mosquito larvae there were in the water,” said an entomologist who led a team looking for mosquito breeding sites in the Walled City.
He said that the main cleric at Begum Shahi Masjid in Masti Gate had told them the mosque didn’t have enough money to get their ablution pond fumigated.
“Four people who pray at the mosque have contracted dengue. They aren’t using the pond for ablutions anymore but the water is really dangerous and a good place for dengue mosquitoes to breed,” said the entomologist, who is one of 50 tasked by the chief minister with identifying breeding sites.
“The situation is the same in many Walled City mosques where there are ablution ponds. The people who pray there and those who live nearby are at high risk.
These ponds should be cleaned and fumigated,” said another entomologist who visited the Walled City on Sunday.
“Auqaf Department employees need to be taken on board. They need to be vigilant at every mosque, shrine and graveyard. At one graveyard we found dengue larvae in every pot put on the graves. There were also adult dengue mosquitoes,” said the team head.
He said that mosques with ablution ponds that were not under the Auqaf Department should take preventive measures themselves. “If there is any pond in any mosque which still has some water, they should throw salt in it so the larvae will die.”
Dengue seminar
Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif told a seminar at Alhamra about short, medium and long-term measures against dengue. Currently, officials were trying to eliminate breeding sites.
The government would later consider shifting godowns of used tyres, a hotbed of dengue mosquitoes, outside the city. The long-term strategy would be decided by a special committee by October 15, he said. Also on Sunday, the education secretary said that the government had arranged for the training of biology and zoology teachers to eradicate dengue larvae and 98 students had volunteered to help with this campaign.
Meanwhile, 228 more dengue cases in Punjab including 186 in Lahore were diagnosed in the last 24 hours, said a Health Department spokesman. Seven people died of the disease in Lahore, raising the death toll to 131 in Lahore and 143 in Punjab.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 3rd, 2011.
Ponds used for ablution in historic mosques in the Walled City are teeming with dengue mosquito larvae and in case of rain could become a major source of further infections, according to government entomologists.
“We were shocked at how many mosquito larvae there were in the water,” said an entomologist who led a team looking for mosquito breeding sites in the Walled City.
He said that the main cleric at Begum Shahi Masjid in Masti Gate had told them the mosque didn’t have enough money to get their ablution pond fumigated.
“Four people who pray at the mosque have contracted dengue. They aren’t using the pond for ablutions anymore but the water is really dangerous and a good place for dengue mosquitoes to breed,” said the entomologist, who is one of 50 tasked by the chief minister with identifying breeding sites.
“The situation is the same in many Walled City mosques where there are ablution ponds. The people who pray there and those who live nearby are at high risk.
These ponds should be cleaned and fumigated,” said another entomologist who visited the Walled City on Sunday.
“Auqaf Department employees need to be taken on board. They need to be vigilant at every mosque, shrine and graveyard. At one graveyard we found dengue larvae in every pot put on the graves. There were also adult dengue mosquitoes,” said the team head.
He said that mosques with ablution ponds that were not under the Auqaf Department should take preventive measures themselves. “If there is any pond in any mosque which still has some water, they should throw salt in it so the larvae will die.”
Dengue seminar
Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif told a seminar at Alhamra about short, medium and long-term measures against dengue. Currently, officials were trying to eliminate breeding sites.
The government would later consider shifting godowns of used tyres, a hotbed of dengue mosquitoes, outside the city. The long-term strategy would be decided by a special committee by October 15, he said. Also on Sunday, the education secretary said that the government had arranged for the training of biology and zoology teachers to eradicate dengue larvae and 98 students had volunteered to help with this campaign.
Meanwhile, 228 more dengue cases in Punjab including 186 in Lahore were diagnosed in the last 24 hours, said a Health Department spokesman. Seven people died of the disease in Lahore, raising the death toll to 131 in Lahore and 143 in Punjab.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 3rd, 2011.