In Khadki, citizens hit by a severe mosquito menace

A massive mosquito menace triggered by the hyacinth-covered Mula river has disrupted daily life for hundreds across Khadki.
Residents said they are today unable to step out during the evenings. One resident, Umesh Gawli, who lives in Mahadevwadi, said his family has dinner inside a mosquito net. “The mosquito problem is at its peak from 5pm to 6am. We even have to eat dinner inside a mosquito net. The situation is so bad that recently, at the crematorium here, more than half of the people attending a ceremony had to leave midway because of mosquitoes.”

The Khadki Cantonment Board (KCB) has said it’s trying its best to clear the hyancinth on the stretch of river here — with help from defence authorities — but has also admitted it’s helpless against the problem.
Spreading water hyacinth has formed a dense mat on the Mula stretch from Harris Bridge in Dapodi to Holkar Bridge in Khadki, where the river forms the boundary between PMC, PCMC and KCB limits. The worst affected areas are within KCB limits — Mahadevwadi, Rajiv Gandhinagar, the Indira Vasahat slums, Sapras and other locations along the river’s banks.
Rajesh Kakade, an area resident, said fumigation measures by KCB has been of little consequence where he lives. “The KCB carries out fogging using tempos. But the vehicles don’t enter the smaller lanes. It has been of no use to us. We have to close all windows and doors before 5pm. Otherwise, we’ll be swarmed.”
The situation is similar in Sapras. “We cannot stand in the open after 6pm. And mosquito repellants are increasingly failing to have any impact,” said resident Sandeep Birdawade.
Those with babies or young children remain extremely worried. “We make sure our baby stays inside a mosquito net. We have also been spending a lot of money on repellants. All doors and windows are covered by nets, but if the insects spot an opening even for a second, we’ll be in trouble,” said Nilesh Pendalwar, a resident of Khadki Bazaar.
Another resident from the same area, Sachin Maind, said: “Children have been falling ill here, and medical bills have been putting a huge strain on our incomes. Around 30 people, including myself, had tried to clear some of the hyacinth from near the banks recently. But we could not go deeper into the river. At the crematorium, people have had to light bonfires to save themselves from the mosquitoes.”
Others said official action has been at a snail’s pace despite protests.
“Just last week, there was a protest urging the KCB to clear the Mula of water hyacinth. The KCB has started removing the plants, but the work is progressing slowly. We will launch one more protest if the river is not cleared within the next few days,” said Shivaji Pawar, part of a political action group.
Madan Gade, a social activist, said: “I had submitted a memorandum to the district collector that said both the PMC and PCMC were pushing water hyacinth from their areas into KCB limits. I urged the collector to organise a joint drive by the PMC, PCMC and KCB to remove the water hyacinth. The memorandum was also marked to the heads of PMC, PCMC and the KCB.”
B S Naik, the health superintendent of the KCB, said about 40 workers have been deployed to clear the water hyacinth infestation. “We are also carrying out fogging across affected areas. Water hyacinth is being removed using four boats — two belong to the defence authorities and the other two are ours. However, both the PMC and PCMC must ensure they clear the weed so that the spread doesn’t enter the Khadki cantonment limits.”
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