Drone strikes against mosquitoes in Ahmedabad

International Desk: Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) on Wednesday launched its drive under the state government's campaign to make Gujarat malaria-free by 2022.
 

At the launch ceremony of the campaign, state health minister, Shankar Chaudhary, recommended that AMC should deploy drones to check for mosquito breeding sites in backyards and terraces of households, where scrap is usually kept, making conditions more conducive for mosquito breeding.

"Mosquito breeding sites are often found in households of the affluent class and one seldom realizes that they may even prevail in the scrap furniture and other unused materials and appliances stacked on terraces and backyards," said the state health minister.

"While citizens should be alert, civic authorities should take additional measures to keep a check on this", he said.

The plan for launching the campaign to make Gujarat malaria-free was announced in the assembly, earlier this year. Under the campaign, state health authorities plan to check more than 15 lakh households, office spaces, commercial buildings and institutions, among others across the city for prevalence of mosquito breeding sites over the next 16 days.

A work force of more than 1,500 health workers will be deployed.

"The severity of malaria is felt with more than 40,000 cases reported across the country . Around 56 countries of the world have successfully implemented malaria eradication programmes, so why can't we?" asked Chaudhary.

Source: Agencies





risingbd/May 25, 2017/Mukul