KHYBER: The local health authorities in Landi Kotal have said that over 1,000 people have been affected with malaria during the last three-four weeks.

They said that free health services were being provided at the malaria centre at the District Headquarters Hospital, Landi Kotal, and efforts were underway to control the spread of the disease, which has become endemic.

They suggested immediate fumigation of the localities where the disease has affected most number of residents.

Meanwhile, local community members have expressed their dissatisfaction over the slow and lethargic approach of the tehsil municipal authorities to the disease. They said that the TMA was repeatedly asked to conduct regular fumigation of the areas where malaria cases were reported, but to no avail.

They said that most of the cases were reported from Pasedkhel, Ashkhel, Sultankhel and Walikhel areas, adding that malaria could also break out in adjoining localities if timely steps were not taken to contain its rapid spread.

Local residents said that people of almost every age of both genders had contracted malaria due to the `indifferent` attitude of the TMA staffers, who were very slow in responding to emergency calls from the affected localities.

They alleged that heaps of garbage lying in different localities of Landi Kotal had become breeding spaces for the malaria mosquito with the TMA staff failing to run an effective awareness campaign against the spread of the disease and remove the accumulated garbage on time. Correspondent