ii
C.—Dr. Mhaskar then passes on to consider the temporary breeding
places of mosquitoes and he points out that the outstanding difficulty is the
insufficient water-supply to every house and the consequent necessity for
storing water in receptacles which vary in character according to the means
of the inhabitants. To remedy these defects he recommends :—
(1) that an adequate supply of water should be available for every
household;
(2) that periodical inspection should be made to ensure that water is
not collected and stored in receptacles in such circumstances that mosquito
larvae can develop in it;
(3) that the breeding of mosquitoes on any premises should be regarded
as an offence subject to penalty;
(4) that a few mosquito breeding places should be selected and
established under proper supervision and control to test the efficiency of
anti-mosquito measures and to prevent mosquitoes taking to unusual
breeding places,
6. In the next chapter Dr. Mhaskar considers the strength and cost of
the staff to carry out his very excellent recommendations, He offers three schemes
costing approximately one lakh, half a lakh and quarter of a lakh of rupees
per annum. He thinks that for an expenditure of nearly a lakh of rupees per
annum it would be possible to keep down all mosquitos in Karachi. For half
that sum he thinks it would be possible to control the breeding places of
Stegomyia mosquitoes, while the third scheme, costing about quarter of a lakh of
rupees per annum, would only allow of the inspection and control of breeding
places of mosquitoes which are situated outside of houses.
7. The expenditure proposed for these three schemes is so very different
that it is essential to consider which scheme, if any, should be adopted from the
point of view of (1) necessity, (2) expediency.
8. Let me first consider the necessity for adopting one or any of the
schemes. The present enquiry was undertaken owing to the possible import-
ation of Yellow Fever into Karachi when the Panama Canal is opened. It is
well to point out that Major S. P. James has visited Panama and other places
with the object of studying the conditions which may lead to the introduction
of Yellow Fever into India when the Panama Canal is opened; his report
is at present under the consideration of the Government of India and until
this report has been published the necessity for taking precautions other than
those which already exist against the possible importation of this disease into
Karachi does not immediately arise. But mosquitoes are responsible for the
spread of other diseases than Yellow Fever and Dr. Mhaskar's more expensive
scheme aims at the destruction and control of all mosquitoes including the
anopheles which spread malaria. The table given on page 15 of the report
however shows that fevers account for only one-third as many deaths as are
attributed to plague, so that the urgency or necessity of measures against
malaria in Karachi is less than the need for measures to combat the plague.
9. Passing on to consider the expediency for adopting one or any of
Dr. Mhaskar's schemes, it is well to point out that the total expenditure on the
Health Department amounts to Rs. 73,488 per annum, so that if either of
Dr. Mhaskar's larger schemes were adopted, the expenditure on this depart-
ment would be doubled, a proposal, which, I think, hardly requires consider-
ation especially in view of the remarks I have made above regarding the
necessity for the adoption of any measures against Yellow Fever and Malaria
when Plague at present causes more than three times as many deaths.
10. I am- of opinion that the attention and money of the Karachi
Municipality should be concentrated on effecting improvements in the water-
supply., drainage and housing of the inhabitants of the town, that meanwhile
measures should be taken to prohibit the construction of new open wells
or the erection of cisterns, fountains, etc., disused wells should be filled up
and arrangements made to supply pipe water at those places where wells are
at present used so that these may be closed.