MPs have issued an urgent call for intervention following complaints of an outbreak of mosquito infestation in neighbourhoods across Bahrain.
They want the government to hire private companies to handle the menace on behalf of the Health Ministry as public health directorate officials are busy with efforts to combat the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic.
The infestations have been reported from mostly coastal regions, reclaimed land or farming areas in Buhair Valley, Arad, Galali, Tubli, Al Luzi, Malkiya and Dar Kulaib.
The GDN reported in May last year that neighbourhoods across Bahrain were sprayed with pesticide as part of efforts to eradicate the mosquito infestations.
At the time the ministry dispatched a team of 25 pest control specialists, including four supervisors, to areas where large pools of stagnant rainwater had been witnessed.
“We realise the directorate concerned at the ministry is busy with Covid-19 and we appreciate their efforts,” said Parliament public utilities and environment affairs committee vice-chairman Ahmed Al Demistani.
“But that does not help people who get bitten, or fall victim to malaria or other illnesses,” he added.
“In the current circumstances, several pest control companies have no jobs, so they can be hired to spray the affected areas.
“Waiting until August when the mosquito numbers are high and their sizes are bigger to take action is very late considering that by then people would have been sick many times over.”
As temperatures soar, underground water resurfaces to create swamp-like conditions ideal for mosquitoes to breed.
According to Al Asala (Salafi) bloc president MP Ahmed Al Ansari, the Works, Municipalities Affairs and Urban Planning Ministry has failed to find solutions to water puddles across the country.
“The source of water that mosquitoes breed in surfaces especially when temperatures soar and this requires engineering solutions or proper municipal intervention,” he said.
“In Buhair Valley, the water comes from the ground and we asked for pumps to redirect it away from homes; in Tubli Bay, the blocked water channels with sewage residue lead to water collection; Al Luzi Lake has been confined with no sea access with the stagnant water becoming a place for mosquitoes to breed.”
Committee member Khalid Bu Onk said improper reclamation has led to puddles and swamps.
“Whether it is my area, Galali, nearby Arad, Malkiya or Dar Kulaib that have seen vast reclamation, mosquitoes and other insects are present in large numbers,” he said.
“Farming areas that have seen vast urbanisation also need spraying, while ensuring that greenery is not polluted.”
Meanwhile, Malkiya Environment and Public Parks Friends head Juma Al Mallah urged authorities to come up with long-term solutions.
“There is a problem with mosquitoes here and I know they don’t spread malaria but they are spreading other illnesses and diseases,” he said.
“The issue is being treated on the surface, not at the core; long-term solutions based on experiences across the world have to be introduced fast.”
mohammed@gdn.com.bh
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