Amritsar: Inundated roads turn into breeding ground for mosquitoes

Amritsar, July 19

While the Health Department is running an awareness campaign, waterlogging on various roads in the low lying areas of the city poses a serious threat to public health as these places have turned into breeding ground for mosquitoes.

During a visit to the Focal Point on the Mehta road it was found that roads were still under rainwater.

Workers in the area said roads get waterlogged when it rained. They said water from nearby areas flowed towards Focal Point.

“Water does not drain from roads as the Focal Point falls in the low lying area,” said Ram Kumar, a worker.

While the Focal Point is an industrial area, it also has a large population of migrant workers who live on the premises of factories with their families.

The workers said as the Health Department was creating awareness about mosquito breeding, the Municipal Corporation must look into waterlogging issue in the city. They said inundated roads had become breeding grounds for mosquitoes.

The workshop of Punjab Roadways, which is in a low lying area, converted into pond after it rained last week.

The health authorities say the workshop was a hotspot for dengue as a large number of junk items stocked there could hold water. Officials said mosquito larvae were often recovered from tyres kept in the open at the workshop.

Officials of the Health Department said the people should drain out rainwater from flower pots and junk items. They said the people should drain waste water of refrigerators and change water in air coolers every week.