SHOCKING! « SJ Echo

Tuesday, 31 March 2009

SHOCKING!

Even this discarded plastic bag drew attention from ADUN Subang Jaya Hannah Yeoh. Mosquito larvae were found breeding in this bag which had been disposed of in the public wastebin at a playground.

SHOCKING is the word to describe the feelings of those who have fought hard to raise the awareness on the dangers of dengue.

SHOCKING is when these very dedicated people still see the “tidak apa” attitude response of residents.

SHOCKING is also the word to describe the feeling one experiences when coming across areas which are infested with mosquito breeding grounds.

No one can blame the anger that was felt among those who were present at the gotong-royong organised by the USJ2 and 6 Rukun Tetangga when they stumbled upon so many breeding areas just within the surrounding area of a playing field.

Larvae was found in a container discarded under an airconditioning set in a vacant house.

Public dustbins placed around the field were found to be infested with mosquito larvae, plastic bags and cups disposed in the bins had mosquitoes in them and surrounding houses were like a “hatchery” for these insects, which can bring death to their victims.

Is it the lack of public awareness or just the simple fact that people do not care. Organisers of the event obviously felt it was the latter.

Subang Jaya Municipal Council deputy director of health Dr. Roslan b. Mohamed Hussin was obviously alarmed by what he saw when he went around the field and surrounding houses with his officers and also ADUN Subang Jaya Hannah Yeoh.

“ I am alarmed by the number of mosquito breeding sites we saw today despite all our efforts to clean up and to remind people to spend just 10 minutes every weekend to check their surroundings.”

“Alam Flora will have to make sure their workers check the dustbins more regularly and to also pour Abate into the bins to deter the repeat of what we saw today, “ he said, adding that house owners would be issued compounds if their homes were found to be breeding mosquitoes.

Students from SMK Seafield doing their bit during the gotong-royong. Efforts like this are however futile if house owners themselves do not keep their own premises and surroundings clear of breeding grounds for the Aedes.

One vacant house had so many empty containers in its corner lot land, many of which were found to contain the mosquito larvae.

Hannah who appeared upset with what she saw said efforts to fight dengue were futile if residents and council contractors did not take the danger posed by dengue seriously.

“Look at what we saw today in such a short distance. I am shocked by what we saw,” she said.

Hannah said residents could not afford to sit back and wait for dengue to affect them directly before they took action.

USJ 2 and 6 RT chairman Ang How Chuan when launching the morning’s initiative with a group of residents and students from SMK Seafield said cases of dengue had been reported in the area.

“We organised this gotong-royong to clean up the children’s playground and also look for dengue breeding spots.”

“Don’t let it happen to us or our loved ones before we act,” he reminded his group.