150 workers to be recruited to step up anti-mosquito drive in Kochi

Kochi Corporation to temporarily recruit 150 workers for 2 months to step up anti-mosquito drive and combat dengue fever. Opposition protests with swatters and slogans.

The Kochi Corporation will temporarily recruit 150 workers for two months to step up the anti-mosquito drive in the city.

The workers will be trained in pest control operations. The decision was announced by Mayor M. Anilkumar at the Corporation council meeting held on Saturday.

The civic administration decided to strengthen the drive following reports of increased pest attack and cases of dengue fever. The recruited workers will be attached to the Health wing of the civic body and deployed for fogging. Each Corporation division will be allocated ₹50,000 for cleaning of drains, the Mayor said.

The issue of mosquito menace dominated council proceedings on the day, with the Opposition members lashing out at the civic administration for what they termed as the administration’s failure to contain pests.

They alleged that fogging operations had gone haywire in the city. Besides, shortage of workers had hit the operations, alleged Henry Austin, a Congress councillor.

The Opposition councillors, led by Antony Kureethara, the Congress leader in the council, staged a unique protest holding swatters. They also shouted slogans against the civic administration.

Replying to the debate, Mr. Anilkumar said effective pest control would be possible only by way of a network of sewage treatment systems. Some sewage treatment plant projects proposed in the city had to be shelved due to public protests, he said.