Swift action to end insect menace in Korattur

Talking about the survey, Dr PMM David, Professor and Head, Department of Agricultural Entomology, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, said that upon careful examination, they found that the source of breeding for chironomids were the households around the lake. “We saw a number of households with stagnant sewage water that served as the perfect breeding ground for these insects. We have recommended to the sanitary workers to apply bleaching powder in and around the households in the area,” he said.

Dr David was accompanied by Dr M Devanathan, Information and Training Centre, TNAU, Anna Nagar and Dr E Sumathi from KVK, Tirur. State Health Secretary Dr J Radhakrishnan was also present during the inspection.

Radhakrishnan said that the dramatic increase in the number of chironomid in the last few days had grabbed the attention of the Chief Minister. He said, “They should not be confused with mosquitoes, but they are definitely a nuisance for those living along the lake.”

Adding that the situation was being tackled on a war footing, he added that a number of methods were being employed. These included physical, biological and chemical methods. He added, “We are using chemical control measures like spraying insecticide and fogging, physical measures like removing water hyacinths that are also responsible for the breeding. As part of biological control measures, ducks have been released into the water, as they feed on the larvae and help eliminating it.” He added that the numbers would come down drastically due to the measures. 

Dr David said that some may develop allergies due to the insects.