Copyright thehindu
THOOTHUKUDI Even as Corporation officials are discussing and finalising strategies to control the mosquito menace in this port town, around 300 families of Backyianathanvilai under Ward 6 of the urban civic body are battling vector-borne diseases for the past three years, thanks to water stagnation on a two-acre land. This land, closer to St. Mary’s Colony in the Corporation’s North Zone, has been sliced into housing plots and sold to individual buyers, who are yet to build their houses even as houses have come up in the surrounding areas. Since this area does not have proper storm water drains, rainwater started stagnating on this sprawling empty land since 2022. The heavy downpours in 2023 and 2024 further swelled-up the pool to make things worse for the locals. “You can see a range of waterbirds visiting this pool for their prey – fish. Even now you can see some birds,” said Santiago, a fisherman from nearby Lourdhammalpuram. He was right as a couple of cormorants were waiting atop the small branches of the submerged plants for their ‘lunch’. “When I purchased this house in 2022 on the western end of this two-acre land, it was then dry. But in the same year, the downpour created a pool, which never dried-up. Consequently, we are battling mosquito and associated health issues for the past three yeafrs. Even though I have submitted several petitions with the Corporation officials and our councillor Jayaseeli has highlighted this serious issue, no one is interested in addressing this problem,” said Azharuddin, a trader. After Mr. Azaruddin’s repeated appeal with the owner of the water-filled adjacent plot, where water weeds have grown abundantly, the owner started filling up his low-lying property with soil on Tuesday in a bid to avert further water stagnation. Even though the Corporation’s urban health centre is close to this pool, none from this wellness centre have alerted their higher-ups about the health issues the locals are facing due to mosquito bite. The Corporation administration, after witnessing unprecedented flooding in 2022 and subsequent water stagnation on empty plots within the city that naturally became mosquito breeding grounds, warned the owners of these unused plots to raise the level so that the water would not stagnate there. When the plot owners chose to ignore the local body’s appeal, the Corporation warned them of slapping fines and that too did not deter them, it seems. And, water stagnation on vacant plots within Thoothkudi Corporation has become a ‘never-ending story’. Commissioner C. Priyanka said she would immediately look into the issue and take appropriate action to drain the stagnant water at Backiyanathanvilai.
