TEAM HERALD
teamherald@herald-goa.com
MARGAO: Old and worn out chairs from the Nehru stadium, Fatorda, dumped near the jogging track could well very offer a perfect breeding ground for mosquitoes.
The chairs, which will be replaced with modern seats at the stadium in time before the forthcoming Lusofonia games, were found all water-logged, with local residents raising apprehensions of mosquito breeding.
Says local resident Joe Miranda: “Many of the stadium chairs abandoned near the jogging track pose a health hazard to the local residents as well as those jogging on the track. A look at the water clearly reveals that it offers breeding ground for mosquitoes, which would lead to malaria and vector-borne diseases.”
Incidentally, while the health authorities and the municipality undertake routine drives during monsoons to clear empty coconut shells and rubber tyres since they offer breeding ground for mosquitoes, not a single authority has so far made their presence at the spot or issued directions to the agencies concerned to drain the stagnant waters from the chairs.
When this was brought to the attention of Margao Urban Health Officer, Dr Sanjay Dalvi, he said that the Health Centre had alerted the Nehru stadium manager well in advance, but lamented that the situation persists till date. “From our side, a letter had gone to the stadium manager before the onset of monsoons to take precautionary measures. Again, another letter was sent to the stadium manager after monsoons hit the state.
