The search began at Jama Masjid. “A shopkeeper there told us that he could get us frogs, but it would cost us Rs 3,500 per frog,” a health department official said. “This was too expensive.” The other option was the Yamuna. Conservationist Mike Pandey spent eight days near the river last week looking for frogs and filming the Yamuna for his series on climate change. “I found none,” he said. “In 1985, I saw many healthy frogs. In 1988, the frogs were fewer and smaller in size. Now there are none.” The urgency is highlighted by the fact that a National Institute of Malaria Research (NIMR) study found substantial rise in mosquito breeding in Delhi. “The survey to check the growth of breeding is done regularly in Delhi and this time it was found that the growth rate has gone up in various areas,” NIMR director Prof A P Dash said. According to the institute’s findings, the rate of growth has gone up from last year’s 12 per cent to 45 per cent this year. Over 3,000 dengue cases were reported last year in Delhi, and doctors expect more cases this year. “They (frogs) are great consumers of larvae but we have killed them ourselves,” Pandey said. He said their rate of breeding would also be beneficial. “At any given time, one frog produces between 2,000 to10,000 tadpoles, depending on their age. Their long, flexible tongue also enables them to catch more mosquitoes.