Despite tall claims made by the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) regarding the health services, the official records indicate that already 10,608 people have been affected by malaria in the city this year. Last year, 4,558 cases were reported during the first six months.

The health experts consider it as “alarming” since the city has recorded over 10,000 cases of malaria even before the onset of monsoon. From January to June this year, 843-odd people have been found positive of malignant malaria (plasmodium falciparum) — an increase in nearly 750 cases as compared to the corresponding period of last year when 96 cases of falciparum were reported.

This year, malaria has claimed one life already. Last year, several vector borne diseases had claimed 30 lives.

Areas under borough II, IV, V, VI, VII, VIII and IX, declared malaria-prone by the KMC, have shown a spurt in plasmodium falciparum cases. (See Box)

Mayor Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya, however, claimed that the vector-borne cases are under control and there is nothing to worry about.

The KMC is yet to step up its anti-larval measures in the city. Even after a person died of malaria, the civic authorities did not bother to take precautions in the locality.

“The KMC has not carried out any anti-larval measures in the area. A day after Udai Das died, a few KMC workers came and sprinkled some bleaching powder in front of his house and left the area. When we asked them what about the entire locality, they replied that they do not have the permission to do that,” said Chittopriyo Bhattacharya, a resident of ward 40.

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