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Proper drain flushing, natural ecosystems can help fight dengue

Our long-standing fight against the dengue menace has not had success (“Jalan Tenaga resident, 79, is fifth to die from dengue this year”; May 30).

Our long-standing fight against the dengue menace has not had success (“Jalan Tenaga resident, 79, is fifth to die from dengue this year”; May 30).

Recent press reports of the escalating number of cases show that our control efforts have been ineffective. And the extra measures taken for the Zika case have uncovered other mosquito breeding grounds.

In the light of these, I would draw attention to two areas where the control of mosquito breeding may be effective: The proper flushing of neighbourhood drains and the natural containment of mosquito larvae.

First, rainfall can be collected in storage tanks on the roofs of our public apartment blocks and used to flush the drains at specific times according to the mosquitoes’ breeding cycle, to rid our drains of larvae before they hatch. These tanks could be replenished with seawater or effluent when necessary.

Second, let us build ponds in our public housing estates, with water plants, small trees and nooks for tropical fish such as guppies, platies or others that are natural mosquito eaters. These small ecosystems would also enhance our landscape and provide residents with such creatures as beautiful damselflies, butterflies, dragonflies, sunbirds and more that would come to the ponds.

Mosquitoes are drawn to water areas and would lay eggs in the ponds, but these would be eaten by the fish therein.

And our children would be able to learn about nature on our doorstep.

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