Mosquito menace has taken an alarming turn in many parts of the city afflicting scores of people with dengue in this late monsoon, a perfect weather for mosquito breeding. According to the Dhaka City Corporation (DCC) sources, a total of 375 dengue cases were detected from July 1 to August 18 at different hospitals of the city. People living in Jatrabari, Lalbagh, Dhanmondi, Mohammadpur, Gulshan, Moghbazar, Paltan, Rampura, Goran, Basabo, Manda, Mugda and Sayedabad are the worst sufferers. Aedes mosquito, the carrier of dengue, grows in the freshwater and it becomes a threat in the monsoon every year. However, DCC officials said dengue situation this year is better than last year's as no death has been reported so far. Last week Ibtida Rahman Chowdhury, a schoolboy from Gulshan-2, was diagnosed with dengue. His mother Nahida Rahman Mala said, "We are facing mosquito menace despite keeping our house neat and clean." Nilufar Khan, a resident of Jatrabari, complained that this year they are facing mosquito problem more than the previous years. "Many people of this area have been afflicted by dengue this year. Mosquitoes are beyond any control," she said. However, officials at DCC's Mosquito Control Department claimed that the situation is not alarming. Dr Naseem Us Seraj, senior entomologist of DCC, said, "This year the number of dengue affected people is less than that of previous years. We believe we have successfully controlled mosquito this year." Mentioning this year's Tk 15 crore mosquito control plan, he said, "We have extended our programmes considering the upcoming Ramadan. Moreover, we have taken motivational programmes at school levels to grow awareness on dengue." However, the comments of the city dwellers give a different picture. People living at the areas near Jirani canal is facing serious mosquito problem. The stagnant water of the canal has become an ideal ground for mosquito breeding. Imamuddin Chowdhury, a resident of Madartek, said, "Almost every houses near Jirani canal at Madartek are full of mosquitoes. Sometimes we use smokes to get rid of mosquitoes. But, we don't see any initiatives from DCC." Mosquito menace has become a big problem in areas especially near water bodies and open drains of DCC in the eastern part of the city. "We use spray, mosquito coils and nets but cannot save ourselves. I'm worried about the health of our newborn baby," said Nusrat Jahan a resident of Basabo. "It is not clear what the city corporation is doing to control mosquitoes. In the previous years the city corporation used fogger machines to kill the insects. But this year we don't see any initiative to control mosquito," she complained. However, a few locals alleged that some people bribe DCC staffs to get mosquito control medicines. Owner of a dairy farm of the area on condition of anonymity said mosquito is not a problem for him, as he pays the DCC staffs for insecticides. When contacted, Azad Abul Kalam, executive officer of Zone 4 of DCC, said drastic action will be taken if any such complaint is proved against any official of the zone. "We are using larvaecide in the open drains and water bodies,' he added. When he was briefed on the complaints from locals, Azad claimed that the area at the edge of DCC borders might face a little mosquito problem as mosquitoes flying from the areas outside DCC can migrate to those areas.