The Municipal Affairs Bureau’s (IAM) Consultative Committee members voiced concern yesterday over mosquito problems around the city as the weather gets hotter and there are likely to be more rainy days.
The committee members expressed their worries during a regular meeting of the government-appointed body at the IAM headquarters.
Consultative Committee members Ma Chi Heng, Kun Man Tat and Chio Lan Ieng said that as the weather is getting hotter and the city has recently been recording more rainy days, more mosquitoes are around. They also pointed out that the ovitrap index recorded 21.5 percent in March which is a 16.8 percent increase compared to a year ago, and also the highest number recorded in five years. He underlined that a lot of residents living in the peninsula’s northern district and Taipa have been complaining about the mosquito menace.
Consultative Committee member Leong Hong Sai also said that Aedes Albopictus, also known as the Asian tiger mosquito, is already active. He noted that the Asian tiger mosquito can spread dengue fever, malaria, Japanese encephalitis, Zika virus, and other contagious diseases.
They all proposed that the government should use more insect repellents in areas that recorded a high ovitrap index. They also suggested that the government strengthen civic education and remind residents to keep the environment clean.
During the meeting, IAM President José Maria da Fonseca Tavares said that as a lot of the committee members proposed increasing the amount or frequency of mosquito repellents, he will arrange to increase the dosage and frequency in parks and leisure areas that residents visit the most. However, he added that for hiking trails or areas near nature, he suggested lowering the amount of mosquito repellents in case they kill other insects too which would ruin the balance of the ecosystem.
IAM Vice President O Lam told the meeting that the bureau has been spraying insect repellents twice a month since March. He pointed out that the bureau has been focusing on cleaning containers that contain stagnant water that mosquitoes need to breed.
Committee raises teahouse issue
Meanwhile, Consultative Committee member Chan Ka Leong said that the recent rumour about closing down the teahouse in Flora Garden had drawn many residents’ attention, which showed that the snack shacks in parks and leisure areas are popular among residents. Therefore, Chan suggested setting up more teahouses in parks that are most visited by residents, such as San Kio Garden. He pointed out that there are still many leisure areas in Macau that are without a snack shack or teahouse. Chan added he hoped the government could set up more of those in order to improve the respective neighbourhoods’ economies and create more job opportunities.
IAM Administrative Committee members and the bureau’s Consultative Committee members address various issues during a regular meeting of the committee at the bureau’s headquarters yesterday. Photo: Prisca Tang
