Municipal councillors, get your act together and stop blaming citizens
Every citizen, from school child to elderly person is aware of Dengue Viral Fever nowadays. The awareness created through diverse modes of information dissemination has resulted in a clampdown on the breeding of the vector, i.e. the Aedes mosquitoes. Further, nobody wilfully promotes breeding of mosquitoes that transmit the dengue viruses (serotypes) or for that matter other mosquito transmitted pathogens. If at all mosquito breeding places are found within housing premises, the reason could be unintentional or inattention or helplessness.
Under these circumstances however, it is sad to note that the so called ‘public health officers’ attached to Local Government establishments take a ‘catch the beggar’ attitude when visiting households.
Just a few days ago, a group of ‘Anti-Dengue Vigilantes’ of the local MC hovered from house to house, down our street. They entered a house occupied by a single elder, over 60 years of age. They found a dugout in the garden which had been done to prevent water flowing into the house. The source of water being the water flowing in from the blocked roadside drain - entering through the water exit outlets of the perimeter wall of the garden!
“There - there, there are mosquito larvae at the bottom of this pit. You are promoting spreading Dengue Fever, here and elsewhere!” they said. The petrified elderly person pleaded that she had no intention whatsoever of breeding mosquitoes. Besides, creation of an environment for the genesis of dengue virus was never in this cultured person’s mind! The ‘anti dengue squad’ of the MC didn’t want to hear her explanation. ‘You defend yourself in court,’ was their attitude.
Three months before this incident, they had knocked on my door. The lead officer spoke aggressively. ‘We came to inspect your apartment to look for Dengue Mosquitoes. Oh! Air in here is stuffy! Open the windows for fresh air.’ Then having gone through the rooms – toilet and bedroom, he started to inspect the kitchenette. He opened the cupboard which held the kitchen sink. ‘Come here … come here,’ he said, ‘can’t you see there is a water leak from the sink.’ In fact, I had noticed this tiny water leak a few days before and kept a plastic basin to collect the droplets of water until the repairman came to fix it. Aren’t these fellows going beyond bounds?
I analysed this incident very carefully. The fault was not in the hands of the hapless elder or for that matter other residents. To the contrary, flooding and water logging had been due to the negligence of local MC drain cleaners – not cleaning the drains in a timely manner– leaving the sludge lying by the roadside until the next shower of rain washes it back into the drain – demanding ransom money for cleaning the drain fac- ing one’s premises! Basically, everything boils down to lack of timely cleaning of drains and also lack of supervision by the responsible supervisers (if there are any such persons?) of the MC. I recall old stories of olden day Kings, disguising themselves and walking the city identifying lapses amenable to correction.
An appeal: Municipal Councillors, do not just get glued to the Council Chamber like the Parliamentarians do. Your endless debates, altercations, disputes, battles and appearances we witness over visual media day after day carry us citizens of this country nowhere. Like the olden-day councillors did, take a walk out and a look outside to check what requires putting right. Local Government Councillors – work towards people’s welfare in your locality, living up to the promises you made to procure our votes at the Local Council Election.
Also, how observant are the ‘anti dengue vigilantes’ of the Local Councils? They need education with regards to human-to-human interaction, no doubt.
Dr. S.W. Gunasekera Via email