To curb the outbreak of vector-borne diseases, the Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) is deploying drones to apply mosquito larvicidal oil to 64 non-drinking water bodies within its jurisdiction.
Additionally, GVMC has introduced 850,000 Gambusia fish, also known as mosquito fish, into 210 drinking water bodies. These fish, recognized by the National Centre for Vector Borne Disease Control, are effective in preventing mosquito breeding in urban settings. This proactive approach follows lessons learned from challenges faced in other districts of north Andhra Pradesh last year. In 2023, Visakhapatnam saw 734 dengue cases and 3,000 malaria cases, while Vizianagaram reported 266 malaria and 300 dengue cases, Srikakulam had 269 malaria cases, Alluri Sitaram Raju experienced 3,000 malaria and 114 dengue cases, and Parvathi Puram Manyam recorded 382 malaria and 182 dengue cases.
In a statement to Deccan Chronicle on Monday, Tulasi, the malaria control officer for Visakhapatnam, reported 14 malaria and 107 dengue cases in the district for August this year.
GVMC’s Chief Medical Officer Naresh Kumar explained, “We have identified 64 non-drinking water bodies where mosquito larvicidal oil is being sprayed using drones.”
The GVMC has engaged a private drone company for the oil spraying operations. The oil forms a thin layer on the water surface, causing mosquito larvae and pupae, which breathe at the surface, to drown. “We use six liters of larvicidal oil per acre. So far, we have treated 52 water bodies, and we aim to cover 12 more within the next two to three days,” Kumar added. The non-drinking water bodies span a total of 209 acres in the district.
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