Dhaka North City Corporation administrator Mohammad Azaz said on Sunday that despite different control measures, mosquito population was rising in the city due to the huge waste generated by a large number of hawkers and illegal open markets on the streets.
Speaking at a press briefing on the 鈥楧engue situation and DNCC activities to control mosquito-borne diseases in the past six months鈥� at the corporation headquarters at Gulshan 2, Azaz said that they planned to intensify eviction drives against hawkers and illegal markets.
The administration said that although their several measures, including increased monitoring of mosquito eradication workers, its population continued to rise particularly because of the huge volumes of wastes generated daily by hawkers and open markets on the streets.
He said that city corporation cleaners finish clearing the daily wastes from the streets by 8:00am, but wastes, especially plastic garbage, were generated by hawkers and street markets mostly from 8:00am to 12:00 noon that they left on the streets.
Mosquito population was rising due to these wastes, he alleged.
Despite 40 eviction drives in the past six months, controlling illegal markets remained difficult as these hawkers and markets were backed by 鈥榚xtortionist gangs,鈥� he said.
Azaz also noted that the city corporation鈥檚 efforts had helped reduce dengue cases as the number of patients admitted to hospitals in July this year dropped to 844 from 6,850 in July 2023.
The city authorities did not take 2024 into account in this regard due to disruption in activities caused by the July uprising, he mentioned.
In another event on the day, the DNCC administrator launched 25 poster boards in the city, including 10 new and 15 renovated boards.
