Civic authorities waiting for weather to clear to launch mosquito control drive

Civic authorities of Kochi are waiting for the weather conditions to improve to launch the intensive mosquito control measures even as they have been flooded with complaints of increased mosquito menace.

The original plan of Health authorities of the Kochi Corporation was to marshal 210 of its health workers to various parts of the city to prevent breeding of mosquitoes at source. Mosquito menace had intensified over the past few weeks as intermittent showers the city had received provided the insects an ideal condition to breed, according to the civic authorities.

The 210 workers will be divided into five squads and deployed in the eastern and western parts of the city. Each squad will be provided with hand and power sprayers for spraying larvicides, and hand fogging machines to target adult mosquitoes. The squad members will also bring nets for covering the air pipes of toilets in buildings. The pipes will be covered with these nets, which are provided free of cost, for preventing mosquitoes that breed inside septic tanks from escaping.

The drive is being undertaken following the realisation that septic tanks serve as the biggest breeding ground for mosquitoes, said T.K. Ashraf, chairperson of the Health Standing Committee of the Kochi Corporation.

Larvicides can be used only in dry weather conditions as they may get washed away in rain. If weather permits, the drive will be launched on Wednesday itself. Some parts of the city had received rain on Tuesday. If it continues to rain, the drive may have to be postponed, he said.

Mr. Ashraf said the possibility of using drones for spraying larvicides in marshy areas of the LNG terminal at Puthuvypeen and the holdings of the Cochin Port Trust needs to be explored. The issue will be discussed with Kochi Mayor and others as the mosquitoes from these areas are infesting the Marine Drive and Fort Kochi areas, he said.