The Study on Impact of Ujina Irrigation Canal on Malaria Transmission in District Nuh (Erstwhile Mewat), Haryana

Abstract

Man-made ecological transformations have occurred at an unprecedented magnitude over the past 50 years. Prominent among them are water resource development projects which has a significant impact on transmission dynamics of malaria. The link between irrigation system and malaria in District Nuh (Erstwhile Mewat) of the State of Haryana is studied. Larval and adult mosquitoes were collected fortnightly between January 2017 and December 2017 from two irrigated and two non-irrigated (control) villages in the PHC Ujina. Analysis was done to determine relationships of larval/ adult vector densities between irrigated and non- irrigated villages. Malaria incidence was reported to be over six-fold higher in the irrigated villages than the non-irrigated villages. The number of anopheline breeding habitats was 3.6 times higher in the irrigated villages than the non-irrigated villages. Larval and adult anopheline densities were three to four times higher in the irrigated villages than in the non-irrigated villages, respectively, during the study period. Anopheles culicifacies was the predominant species in the study area. Plasmodium vivax and Plasmodium falciparum rate were significantly higher in the irrigated villages than the non-irrigated villages. The study concludes that proper canal water management could reduce vector abundance and malaria transmission in the irrigated villages.