Mosquitoes Take Detour To Civic Body As Raipur Man Delivers Biting Protest

In a protest that was as sharp as the sting that triggered it, a young man in Chhattisgarh's capital literally carried his complaint to the authorities sealed in a plastic bag. After being bitten by mosquitoes in Raipur's Vamanrao Lakhe ward, the youth killed the insects, packed them neatly, and marched straight into the Raipur Municipal Corporation office to make his point.

The man, Daulal Patel, said he feared the mosquitoes that bit him could be carriers of dengue. Alarmed, he first consulted a doctor, who advised him to get the mosquitoes tested. Taking the advice rather literally, Patel decided to escort the culprits himself.

Accompanied by social activist Vijay Sona and the municipal corporation's leader of the opposition Akash Tiwari, Patel presented the mosquitoes securely sealed in a polythene bag to the health officer at the civic body headquarters.

Municipal officials promptly contacted doctors and arranged testing to allay fears. The report, however, brought some relief as the insects were found to be ordinary mosquitoes, not dengue carriers.

But for the Opposition, the episode was anything but ordinary. Akash Tiwari said the incident exposed the complete failure of the city's mosquito control system.

"On paper, people are being sold the dream of 'Clean Raipur, Beautiful Raipur.' On the ground, residents are forced to hunt mosquitoes and bring them to the municipal office," he said, adding that the reality was "far more frightening than the slogans."

Residents say the mosquito menace has reached alarming levels, with people living in constant fear of dengue and malaria. Locals recalled that a few years ago, a young man from the same locality died after a mosquito bite.

"If citizens have to catch mosquitoes themselves and prove the problem to the authorities, one can only imagine the situation elsewhere in the city, let alone the rest of the state," Tiwari said.

Activist Vijay Sona said he had repeatedly complained to civic officials about mosquito breeding near his house, but no action was taken. He claimed that a family member had already lost their life due to a mosquito-borne illness.

"This is the capital city. If this is the condition here, what must be happening in other areas?" he said.

Raipur Municipal Corporation officials said fogging and anti-larval spraying would be intensified in the affected areas. However, residents remain sceptical, pointing out that despite spending crores of rupees every year on mosquito control, open drains and poor drainage continue to provide perfect breeding grounds.