‘Water mismanagement, a source of mosquitoes’

The Blantyre City Council (BCC) has attributed overbreeding of mosquitoes in the commercial city of Malawi to pollution of rivers and mismanagement of water sources.

BCC officials said this in Ndirande on Thursday when they sprayed against mosquitoes along rivers and streams in the township as one way of fighting the outbreak of malaria in the city.

The council, which has been spraying against mosquitoes in streams since mid October, said some people who live near rivers do not want to manage water reservoirs.

BCC senior sprayer Samuel Mkwapatira said Nasolo River in Ndirande Township is one of the most polluted rivers in Blantyre because residents throw litter, human waste and carcasses in the river.

Mkwapatira said there is need to enlighten people on how to manage water sources to break mosquitoes’ life cycle.

“We have managed to spray against mosquitoes in many streams and rivers, including Luchenza stream, Chimwankhunda Dam, Limbe River, Manase sewage and stream, Nasolo River and Mudi River.

“Mosquitoes are controllable, but the city has a lot of stagnant or polluted water sources that are leading to overbreeding of the insects. Scarcity of land is also a contributing factor to malaria outbreaks because water mismanagement is usually found in heavily populated areas such as Ndirande.

“For long-term solutions, civic education is important because spraying against mosquitoes is a short-term controlling measure,” said Mkwapatira.