It was the first day of the school after summer vacations and 2nd day of Month of July. I always liked mildness in weather whenever it rains in Delhi. While waiting for the school bus at the bus stop I was pretty much excited to meet my friends after so long. Soon the bus arrived and I reached school within 15 mins. As it was raining the prayer schedule was shifted to Hall room. Soon after the prayers we dismissed to our classrooms. It was still raining outside. The basketball court was fully filled with rain water. And we were pretty much sure what we gonna see in lunch breaks. It was raining in Delhi from past few days. We always expected this kind of pre monsoon showers before actual monsoon arrives. We were actually having fun as most of the teachers were absent due to rains. We had got enough time for talking. As the bell rang for the lunch breaks we on count of three ran towards basketball court.. To see what we expected to see.. The fishes.. That appears by their own whenever it rains..
When I was in my adolescenthood , I always wondered how these fishes appears by their own in stalled waters. Science gives us an opportunity to question. Why? Where? & How? Those fishes that used to appear in logged waters are actually Gambusia, the mosquito eaters. Over the years these Gambusia fishes serving as natural cleaners, feeding on larvae of mosquitoes. Yes, the mosquitoes! Being Delhite I think i don't have to tell what mosquitoes can do. As we see increasing cases of Dengue and Chikungunya in past few years, now I know what had changed in these years. The population of frogs and Gambusia came down and there is drastic increase in mosquito population.
When I was in my adolescenthood , I always wondered how these fishes appears by their own in stalled waters. Science gives us an opportunity to question. Why? Where? & How? Those fishes that used to appear in logged waters are actually Gambusia, the mosquito eaters. Over the years these Gambusia fishes serving as natural cleaners, feeding on larvae of mosquitoes. Yes, the mosquitoes! Being Delhite I think i don't have to tell what mosquitoes can do. As we see increasing cases of Dengue and Chikungunya in past few years, now I know what had changed in these years. The population of frogs and Gambusia came down and there is drastic increase in mosquito population.
Gambusia is fresh water fishes living in shallow waters. Single Gambusia can eat 100 to 300 mosquito larvas. It cannot tolerate very high organic pollutions which is actually the main reason of water pollution, though they can tolerate wide range of temperature. So disappearance of Gambusia is may be due to increase in organic pollution over the years.
Other natural cleaner of environment which eats up the mosquitoes are frogs. How often you see frogs hopping in rainy seasons? Being an Amphibian species frogs are biological indicators of any changes in climate. They respond to alterations in moisture and temperature.
Their thin permeable skin cannot adapt to the changes in aquatic and terrestrial environment. With no frog around we can think where we are heading towards. The increased cases of Dengue, Chikungunya and many mosquito bite disease are the result of over interference of human in ecology. Global warming is on the rise. Food chain is disturbed already. We can see alteration in weather phenomena. We are struggling with antibiotic resistance. And what not? The situation is bad today but it may go worst if we do not take appropriate actions.
Other natural cleaner of environment which eats up the mosquitoes are frogs. How often you see frogs hopping in rainy seasons? Being an Amphibian species frogs are biological indicators of any changes in climate. They respond to alterations in moisture and temperature.
Their thin permeable skin cannot adapt to the changes in aquatic and terrestrial environment. With no frog around we can think where we are heading towards. The increased cases of Dengue, Chikungunya and many mosquito bite disease are the result of over interference of human in ecology. Global warming is on the rise. Food chain is disturbed already. We can see alteration in weather phenomena. We are struggling with antibiotic resistance. And what not? The situation is bad today but it may go worst if we do not take appropriate actions.
