By SAM PHIRI –
THE Lusaka City Council (LCC) has released K50,000 to procure chemicals for outdoor residual spraying in selected areas to curb the increasing mosquito population.
Lusaka Town Clerk Alex Mwansa said the Council has embarked on a vigorous integrated vector management programme in response to the increased mosquito population in the city.
This is according to a statement made available to Sunday Times yesterday by the LCC Assistant Public Relations Manager Brenda Katongola.
Mr Mwansa said the outdoor spraying exercise which is being carried out in phases and in partnership with the Ministry of Health, has started with the corridor along Olympia, Roma, Ngombe, Northmead, Garden, Emmasdale and surrounding areas, which is the epicentre of the resting and breeding of the pest.
“As a council, we have intesified our efforts in spraying for mosquioes in the city. We have done a schedule for spraying starting with the corridor along Ngombe, Olympia, Northmead, Garden, Emmsadale and surrounding areas before moving to other places like Massmedia, Kalingalinga, Mtendere and surrounding areas,” Mr Mwansa said.
The city’s chief executive officer said the outdoor spraying will also cater for the sewer ponds in garden compound which is notorious for the resting and breeding of mosquitoes.
Mr Mwansa appealed to stakeholders to partner with the local authority in spraying for the pest in different parts of the city.
The Town Clerk said the exercise will also include clearing of vegetation in streams, out-door spraying of mosquitoes in resting places and application of larvicides in breeding areas.