The annual monsoon brings welcoming relief from Kolkata's sweltering summers, but it also enables swarms of mosquitoes to breed in the city's stagnant waters. As mosquito-borne diseases like malaria, dengue, and chikungunya threaten the population, the fight against these pesky insects intensifies across neighbourhoods. For city dwellers, installing window mosquito nets is one of the best defence against this growing menace.
The looming threat of mosquito bites:
Kolkata's tropical climate, crowded urban areas, and frequent monsoons offer ideal conditions for mosquitoes to multiply and spread infection. Stagnant rainwater provides breeding grounds for mosquito larvae in open drains, pots, tires, and more. The itchy bites from mosquitoes then become a nuisance and health hazard for the city's millions of inhabitants.
According to a KMC official, the civic body's health department bore witness to 3,912 malaria cases in Kolkata by the first week of September 2021. In 2022, approximately 34.7 thousand cases of malaria were reported in the entire state of West Bengal in India.
These mosquito-borne diseases can be debilitating and even fatal if untreated. Disturbingly, health officials note that mosquitoes in Kolkata have developed resistance to commonly used chemical pesticides. With traditional fogging and fumigation becoming less effective, the importance of physical barriers like window mosquito nets is heightened.
The most effective deterrent against mosquitoes:
With window nets installed, people can sleep, work, and live mosquito-free. Compared to other mosquito deterrents, well-fitted window nets provide 24/7 protection. Kolkata residents would do well to install these inexpensive defences before the monsoon season begins. These nets are seamless to install, easy to maintain, and, moreover, work as the perfect barrier that filters the mosquitoes out while letting in the natural lights and breeze.
In contrast, mosquito repellents only ward off some mosquitoes temporarily. Traps lure and kill only a portion of mosquitoes. Fumigation provides short-term effects. But net windows physically stop virtually all mosquitoes and do so permanently when maintained well.
With threats like malaria, dengue and other diseases on the rise, the protection of mosquito net windows is invaluable. By denying entry at vulnerable points, mosquito net windows provide complete, chemical-free defence around the clock. The one-time investment pays off for years with reduced mosquito nuisance and health risks. For homes in hotspots, installing mosquito net windows is the best and most effective precaution against mosquitoes.