Merebank residents battle mosquito outbreak linked to leaking sewer pipe - IOL
Merebank residents, Saloshna Govender, Shireen Hoosen,Sharin Rajman and Natalie Naidoo trying different methods to help them in a mosquito outbreak.
Merebank residents say mosquitoes have made sleeping difficult, while eThekwini officials investigate a suspected breeding site linked to stagnant water from a leaking sewer pipe.
Desperate residents have complained that some household remedies and conventional methods have not been effective enough to reduce the nuisance levels the buzzing insects inflicted.
The eThekwini Municipality confirmed that they were attempting to locate the mosquito breeding site.
Residents living on Himalaya Road, near the local cemetery, claimed they were hardest hit by the rise in the mosquito population over several weeks, which they described as “a living nightmare”.
Resident Rene Govender said a good night’s sleep was no longer possible.
“The bites make us itch all over. Sometimes I wake to find six to eight mosquitoes on my pillow, on our walls, curtains, everywhere.”
Govender tried conventional insecticides to get rid of the mozzies, but that did not work, and a home remedy also gave her no joy.
“I bought six cans of Doom last week. It did not help. We have rubbed vinegar on our bodies to keep them away, but it is of no use either. These mosquitoes are huge, almost the size of the black sugar ants.”
Sagree Naidu said she never experienced such an insect infestation before.
“My body is full of bites. We switch on the fan when sleeping, but that hasn’t helped either. I now sleep fully covered, but the moment the blanket slips off my leg, they come at me.”
Resident Strini Pillay, who is also a member of the community policing forum, said this latest insect “infestation” was unprecedented and started during the winter months.
“While on patrol, I was shocked at the amount of mosquitoes that we have seen, even now in spring. People are burning fires outside their homes to try and smoke the mosquitoes away. Merebank is hard-hit by many things, mainly pollution. This just makes life worse.”
Prega Moodley said people were walking around armed with swatters to fend off the unrelenting mosquitoes.
“We cannot keep our doors and windows open. Mosquito bites are irritating, especially for the children.”
Sharin Rajman, a local ward committee member dealing with health and safety issues, said the matter was escalated to the eThekwini Municipality.
“The source of the mosquito infestation is a broken sewer pipe, which is creating puddles of stagnant water, where the mosquitoes are breeding.”
According to Rajman, the municipality had repaired the pipe several times but had not been able to plug the leak.
“Staff from the environmental health unit sprayed the area, but the problem persists. We have some relief, but in some places there is just no ease.”
