A month-long mosquito eradication drive will be launched in the city in November to control the pest menace, which peaks in December.
On Saturday fogging operations using sprayers mounted on autorickshaws started in the city as part of the run-up to the campaign. Two such units have already been pressed into action. Two more will follow.
“The campaign aims to control the insect population at its breeding grounds,” said T.K. Ashraf, chairman of the Town Planning Standing Committee of the Kochi Corporation.
The sprayers would spray larvicides (an insecticide that targets the larval life stage of an insect) up to a distance of 20 metres. Mechanised hand sprayers would also be used.
A schedule for mosquito control measures for each division would be drawn up on Monday and operations would be streamlined.
He said a systematic mosquito control campaign conducted early this year had started showing positive results in recent months.
Though seven months had passed since regular fogging was stopped on March 28, there was a significant drop in the pest population.
The relaxation of control measures during rainy days this season also did not lead to a spike in the pest menace.
Mr. Ashraf said the corporation could improve the public health situation in the city by spending around Rs. 12 lakh in two years.
This year, most of the fund was used for purchasing vehicles and other accessories, he said.
The civic authorities had distributed around 50,000 plastic nets for covering the air pipes of sanitary toilets in the city.
The nets were used to block the passage of mosquitoes from septic tanks where they breed in large numbers. Most of the nets were utilised by residents.
A fresh set of 50,000 nets would be distributed this season. The leaks in septic tanks will be plugged using funds from the People’s Plan Programme.
The corporation would also deploy two workers for each division to focus on mosquito control measures.
Big sprayers would be used in a division for three hours a day to destroy adult mosquitoes.
Spraying would be carried out mostly during the early morning hours.
“With the day warming up, the larvicides will act vigorously destroying the insects,” Mr. Ashraf said.
