Dengue scare grips areas off Whitefield in Bengaluru

BENGALURU: Epidemic fear looms over the shantytown along Borewell Road in Nallurahalli, near Whitefield, after over 150 residents contracted dengue in just about a week. Scared of contracting the viral infection, people are wary of opening their windows, notwithstanding the sweltering heat, as they don’t want to risk getting mosquito bites.
Most of the infected are housekeeping staff, cleaners, and domestic workers.What’s more, many who have come in contact with these dengue-affected patients are also complaining of chronic leg pain, fever, and body aches.

There are about 2,000 people living in shanties that line Borewell Road on either side. Motorists using the road too are complaining about the mosquito menace they face when passing by. They fear that given the deteriorating situation, a mosquito tornado wouldn’t be surprising one of these days.
Prajwal J, a resident of Nallurahalli who travels on Borewell Road, said one needs to be fully jacketed and use full-face helmets when travelling on the road. “It feels like there are swarms of mosquitoes invading the road. One could easily get bitten and fall ill because of it. Sometimes they get into the jackets and cause a lot of discomfort,” he told TOI. His dengue-struck friend has been resting for four days.
Borewell Road also has a stormwater drain that runs from KC Valley, and it is a perfect site for mosquito breeding. Sandeep Mohanty, a resident of Nallurahalli who has been helping labourers, said despite calling the BBMP numerous times, the authorities have failed to control the mosquito menace.
“My domestic help hasn’t turned up for work because she has been affected, and my family is worried about our health now,” he added.
Nallurahalli Nagesh, another resident of Nallurahalli, said: “Over the past week, I’ve spent over Rs 15,000 helping people visit doctors and buy medicines. They’re working hard to earn their bread and butter, but with such a heath problem, they’ll barely be able to survive.”
TOI also spoke with some of residents of the shanties on Borewell Road. Kashinath B, a labourer, said a majority of his friends and family members have gone back to their hometowns because they can’t bear the mosquito trouble. Basavappa P, another labourer, said, “Regardless of how many mosquito coils and repellents are used and waste is burnt, mosquito breeding just doesn’t stop here.”
BBMP senior health inspector Prakash KN said fumigation is done daily. “We’re aware of the positive cases and are trying to educate everyone about dengue, but apartments in the neighbourhood are reluctant to get their places cleaned. There is an open drain with stagnant water, leading to increased mosquito breeding. Regardless of our spray, adult mosquitoes can’t be killed. We are, however, using fogging machines and destroying the larvae sites,” he said.