KARACHI: The city`s municipal administration began on Saturday a fumigation and insecticide spray campaign as the metropolis was swarmed with flies and mosquitoes following the recent spells of r ain.

Piles of garbage, stagnant stinking rainwater and overflowing sewage in almost every locality of the city have increased the growth of insects manifold, posing a great threat of spread of epidemics.

City Mayor Wasim Akhtar told Dawnthat the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation had kicked of f the insecticide spray drive in the city. `The spray drive began in district Korangi, where insecticides were being sprayed,` he added.

Mr Akhtar, who opened the drive, said that 40 insecticide spray vehicles would carry out fumigation in each district of the city. `Manual spray with hand machines will be carried in such areas where fogging machines could not reach,` he said.

He said the aim of the fumigation cam-paign was to provide protection to the citizens from diseases and viruses, such as malaria and dengue. The mayor said that according to the schedule chalked out by the KMC`s municipal services,insecticide spray was being done in districts Korangi and Malir, while the insecticides would be sprayed in district West and district South on Sunday and Monday.

The fumigation in the remaining districts of the city would be conducted on Aug 29, he added.-Staf f Reporter