' Dry obsession' grips Malda

'Dry obsession' grips Malda
Manas R Bannerjee in Malda Sept. 28. — As unwarranted dry weather prevails in Malda district over the last few days, helping mosquitos to breed and spread dengue and encephalitis, the Malda chief medical officer of health has been urging people to observe a "dry day". The objective is to kill all mosquito larvae to combat the dengue menace which has taken on alarming proportions in the district. "People should observe a dry day and take preventive measures by draining out stagnant water kept in pots in their houses", Dr Gopal Sarkar, the Malda CMOH, said. Health officials believe that the district is facing a peculiar drought-like situation and that is the loan cause of the abnormal mosquito menace. Rains are essential to curb the breeding of mosquitos. The menace will reduce when temperatures go below 26 degree centigrade. The administration has recorded the shortfall in rains in the district and more than 30 per cent till date based on an average rainfall of 1400 mm a year. "Where is the over 30 per cent shortfall of rainfall?" asked Mr. Abhijit Chaudhuri, the district magistrate. Lack of rain and stagnant water bodies has helped mosquitos to breed. Heavy rain would have destroyed larvae, officials said. Facing acute health hazards and dengue, a section of senior doctors are blaming global warming for this situation. According to railway engineers, every year the region and the district receives heavy rainfall in the last week of September, but there is no sign of such weather here. Records show that from 1995, the district used to receive heavy rainfall and flooding in many areas including English Bazaar town. Similarly, the Ganga used to maintain an average water level of above 24 metres here, receiving rainfall from its catchments in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Jharkhand and other adjoining areas.
But at present, the water level of the Ganga is 22.50 metres at Manikchak Ghaat point. In 1998, it was 26.56 metres, 25 .20 metres in 2000 and 26.19 metres in 2003, in the last week of September.A senior engineer of the Malda irrigation department said: " Shortfall in rains in Uttar Pradesh is nearly 60 per cent. We do not know how and when it would make up." It has been reported that more than 800 people, most of them children, died of encephalitis in Uttar Pradesh. Although the death toll in Malda is bad, 40 persons died owing to similar diseases till date, in comparison with UP, but officials believe that lack of rains is the main reason behind the dengue and encephalitis menace. According to the forecast in the east, rain or thundershowers are likely at a few places over sub-Himalayan West Bengal, Sikkim, coastal Orissa and isolated places in the rest of the region outside Jharkhand, east Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, where the weather will be mainly dry. Slight increase in rainfall is likely over Gangetic West Bengal and coastal Orissa after 24 hours. \nThe irrigation engineers said: " There is no question of flood from the Ganga in this district but rain may come late creating flood-like situation before Durga puja". According to mythology, Goddess Durga will be coming in a boat and will returnin an elephant, which indicates heavy rain during puja. #