 "WATCH: Mosquito tornadoes in Pune shock internet, locals urge action")
Over the weekend, shocking visuals emerged from Pune on social media, showing swarms of mosquitoes forming tornadoes in the skies of Keshavnagar and Kharadi Gavthan areas.
Undated videos shared by the locals showed huge numbers of mosquitoes swirling in the skies, resembling miniature tornadoes, as they passed over various residential buildings in the area.
With the videos going viral, the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) is facing heat over the city's civic affairs as locals worry about the spread of mosquito-borne diseases in the city. Notably, the problem is being attributed to the elevated water levels of the Mula-Mutha River.
Locals urge action over crisis
Worried locals in the region shared their ordeal, urging the PMC to take immediate action. "Recently I have seen a lot of mosquitoes. For three or four days there has been a tornado of mosquitoes here in Kharadi. Everything has become hard & there have been a lot of problems due to this...," said Nitin, a local from Kharadi.
Notably, the PMC was working to remove the excess water in the river two days ago, but the situation is still not under control, an NDTV report said.
Rivers under pressure in Pune
Three rivers pass through the PMC area: Mula, Mutha, and Mula-Mutha. According to the PMC's website, these rivers are reeling under a lot of pressure in Pune due to heavy urbanisation for the past few decades.
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The PMC has identified seven pressing issues with the river bodies that need immediate attention. "Untreated sewage flowing into the rivers, garbage dumping, construction debris being thrown, flooding threats, illegal encroachment are some of these problems, according to the PMC website.
Rs 1,450 crore project to rejuvenate Mula-Mutha rivers
A project has also been launched to restore these bodies under the banner of 'Mula, Mutha and Mula-Mutha Riverfront Development Project' in the entire PMC area, the civic agency stated.
The rejuvenation project of Mula-Mutha is estimated to cost about Rs 1,450 crore and is likely to be completed in 2025, according to the past statement of the Union Minister of Jalshakti Gajendra Singh Shekhawat.
Vector-borne diseases getting worse with climate change
The locals' fear over the rise of vector-borne diseases is not without cause, as India reported more than 94,000 dengue cases till September 2023, according to the Centre's data. The figures, though significantly less compared to 2022, continue to haunt the public as tropical diseases are expected to get deadlier in the years to come due to climate change.
Mosquitos and other disease-spreading vectors thrive in warmer temperatures. Increased humidity and rainfall boost the reproductive rates and spatial distribution of these hosts, causing worry among agencies like the World Health Organisation, which fear larger and more severe outbreaks ahead.
(With agency inputs)