Health experts on Thursday said poor water management in Dhaka city is largely responsible for dengue outbreak even insignificant amount of rainfall in the capital city spread the mosquito-borne disease.
"Dhaka city is facing extensive water-logging whenever it witnesses rainfall . . .we are observing water-logging problems have created in the capital city both summer and monsoon seasons due to poor drainage system ," Entomology department chief of National Institute of Preventive and Social Medicine (NIPSOM) Prof Dr Md Golam Sharower told BSS.
He said Dhaka city is witnessing waterlogging problem as poor drainage system is slowing receding of water.
Referring to the recent summer rainfall, the entomologist said many areas of Dhaka city have witnessed waterlogging because "Our water management system is worsening gradually blaming lack of awareness of city dwellers as well as relevant organizations have failed to address the long-standing problems in Dhaka city."
Dr Sharower suggested the two city corporations should scale up their efforts to improve drainage systems for receding rainfall water at the quickest time.
City dwellers are found with creating unhealthy environments as they are throwing artificial containers rampant, which are massively responsible for poor drainage system alongside these artificial containers are the breeding sources of Aedes mosquito.
The enologist urged the city corporation and other relevant organization to take prompt measures to create mass awareness among the people for combating the dengue disease.
"Community engagement is very crucial to prevent dengue disease... All relevant organizations should work in a coordinated manner to prevent the dengue disease," Dr M Mushtaq Hussain, adviser of the Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR), told BSS.
He laid emphasis on taking integrated efforts to tackle dengue disease and said that it is impossible for a single institution to handle the menace.
Dr Mushtaq urged the city corporations to create an adequate number of volunteers to manage the dengue situation properly.
Kabirul Bashar, professor of Department of Zoology of Jahangirnagar University, said, "Generally, Aedes mosquito is found in residential areas...breeding sources of Aedes mosquito are inside and outside the houses." —BSS
