Blame it on weather, it’s raining mosquitoes at airport
Times of India | 22 February 2025
12 Kolkata: The fluctuating weather has caused an unseasonal mosquito infestation at the Kolkata airport, causing severe discomfort to passengers and staff. The alternating warm and humid conditions create ideal breeding grounds for mosquitoes.
Passengers have taken to social media to complain about the issue, citing mosquito bites in lounges, check-in areas, and waiting zones. "IndiGo, your buses at Kolkata airport at 7.40 am are full of big mosquitoes. This is inhuman behaviour on your part and you should be punished for this crime," Pradeep Agarwal, a flyer, wrote on X while on his way to catch a flight to Bagdogra.
Another flyer, Avantika Verma, shared a photograph of herself being covered with a shawl to stay protected from mosquito bites while waiting at the security hold area. "Kolkata airport so full of mosquitoes I had to do this," she wrote on X, while sharing the photograph.
There was another flyer, who even mentioned the exact areas where mosquitoes were causing the most discomfort to the passengers and demanded immediate attention from the airport authorities. "Kolkata domestic terminal is full of mosquitoes. Kindly check the condition inside the passenger waiting lobby. Gate 21-25 etc. It was horrible in the morning. I didn't imagine I should carry Odomos to an airport," he wrote on X. Experts suggested that the unusual weather pattern in Feb — rising temperatures followed by sporadic rain — contributed to the rapid breeding of mosquitoes in waterlogged areas around the airport. Stagnant water near runways, parking lots, and drainage channels can become a prime habitat for mosquito larvae. Airport authorities acknowledged the issue and assured of swift action. "We are increasing fogging operations and deploying additional pest control measures. Passenger safety and comfort remain our priority," an official stated.
To calm down the passengers who have been voicing their complaints, the airport authorities have also shared photographs of fogging operations within the terminal premises. While some travellers said they were assured by the action, there was another set of passengers who were critical. "You know very well this smoke will not solve the problem. There are open sewers around the airport which can be smelled as soon as you land or come out of the airport. You need to ask KMC to support and close these sewers for a sustainable solution," wrote a flyer with X profile @SamGuru0.
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