GHMC staff siphon mosquito-control fuel, chemicals
HYDERABAD: Staff of the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) entrusted with mosquito-control operations are allegedly diverting fuel and chemicals supplied for fogging and selling them in the black market, causing losses to the public exchequer.
Diesel, petrol, malathion and pyrethrum issued for daily fogging are being illegally sold, with nearly 80% of the allotted material allegedly siphoned off, according to sources. The racket is said to involve several officials in the entomology wing.
The issue came to light after four GHMC staff members were caught by police in the Nampally Sarai area while selling 10,000 litres of malathion to private individuals. Police seized drums of the chemical during the operation.
Daily allocations allegedly diverted
Under the old GHMC limits, the civic body has 150 divisions and 30 circles. Each circle is equipped with two large petrol fogging machines, while each division has two smaller machines. For daily operations, each small machine is allotted 7 litres of diesel, 1 litre of petrol and 0.5 litre of malathion. Large machines are allotted 30 litres of diesel, 5 litres of petrol and 2 litres of malathion.
Malathion is stored in zonal office godowns. Senior entomologists issue fuel coupons, based on which assistant entomologists collect diesel and petrol from designated petrol bunks.
However, sources allege that nearly 90% of officials use the fuel to fill their personal vehicles, deploy only about 10% for fogging, and sell the remaining fuel either at the same petrol bunks or to other dealers.
Rules ignored, probe widens
To curb diversion, GHMC headquarters had earlier mandated mixing malathion with fuel before issue. The rule is reportedly not being implemented. In the absence of fuel, malathion meant for fogging remains unused and is allegedly sold off.
Preliminary police inquiries suggest that the chemicals may have been sold to the very contractors who supply fogging machines and chemicals to GHMC. Investigators are also probing whether the official who lodged the complaint was part of the racket and later escaped by offering money to the accused.
Health experts have warned that using excess malathion in fuel mixtures for fogging can produce dense smoke and pose risks of respiratory and other health problems to the public.
