The intervention of the heavy Kamov helicopter, last Wednesday afternoon, in the Ribeira de Alcantarilha marsh, "minimized the problem of mosquitoes", but "did not solve it", revealed today to the Sul Informação the mayor of Silves.
The mayor said he had information from residents and vacationers in Armação de Pêra, namely "a councilor who lives in the area most affected by mosquitoes", that, on Wednesday and yesterday nights, "they were able to open the windows, as there were less insects».
"But we are aware that the problem is not resolved and this Friday, as expected, the applications of larvicide and insecticide will continue", in an intervention coordinated by the Portuguese Environment Agency (APA), Silves Chamber, Parish Council Armação de Pêra and the Algarve Regional Health Administration.
Rogério Pinto added that the APA "is permanently monitoring the area, through various measurement points", and that there is already a reduction in the volume of water in the marsh and in the stream, either due to "the dike that was built next to the Amendoeira Golf, which prevents more water from entering the system”, either due to natural evaporation.
A use of the Kamov helicopter of the National Civil Protection Authority, stationed in Loulé, was, according to the Municipality of Silves, the use of «a method that, through the combination of strong winds caused by the force of the device's blades and the resulting vortex of water, will contribute to the destruction of the mosquito population adults and eggs in this area'.
The operation lasted an hour, during which the helicopter flew at low altitude over the stream, its banks and the flooded marsh areas, in an intervention accompanied by step by step by the Sul Informação. The heavy helicopter did not spread any product or substance, it merely hovered over water and plants, trying to contribute to the death of adult mosquitoes and larvae.
The technician from Pestox, the company hired by the APA last week to help control the mosquito pest that has been affecting the spring area of Armação de Pêra in recent weeks, told our newspaper that, «with the huge blades of these helicopters, which are displacing water and vegetation, creating a lot of turbulence, we hope this can help destroy adult mosquito habitat, larva habitat, and kill a lot of adults.”
The mosquito plague, which has affected only the Armação area closest to the marsh located in the estuary of the river, must have been created due to the combination of several negative factors, say the technicians.
Upstream of the stream, in the Lagoa area, the rice fields did not carry out anti-mosquito treatments and then dumped the water, full of larvae, into the water course, while the sewage treatment plants (WWTP) and even the water treatment plant (ETA) performed abnormal discharges.
The result is that, after a very rainy year, the marshes and marshes in the lower part of the Alcantarilha stream, next to Armação beach, did not dry out, quite the contrary. The heat, dew and humidity of the night all helped to create this pest.
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