CHENNAI: Amid a social media backlash over mosquito nets covering stormwater drains, Chennai Mayor R Priya on Saturday said no directive was issued by the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) for such a move. "No directive was given by the Corporation. A councillor had made a request and it was implemented. It was not done for mosquitoes and is not worth such a controversy,” Priya said.

The mayor's remarks come amid a rising mosquito menace in Chennai, with chikungunya cases being reported. In this backdrop, the move to cover stormwater drain silt catch pits with mosquito nets drew ridicule rather than relief.

Satirical posts with captions such as “Chennai Corporation spreads nets to catch mosquitoes” and “Will termite spray be used to protect mosquito nets?” flooded social media, while the opposition’s IT wing also shared mocking content targeting the mayor over the move.