Ignatius Orwin Noronha’s mother had partial filaria spread by mosquitoes. He then went on to invent a device that kills mosquitoes without harming the environment. Mr. Noronha (55), has spent nearly 15 years improving the device, now named MozziQuit.
Mr. Noronha of Mangaluru, managing director of Leowin Solutions, gained experience in chemical substances while working for a company making additives for the construction industry in West Asia. After returning home about two decades ago, he began experimenting initially with waterproofing of buildings and later shifted his attention solely towards containing the mosquito menace.
“No sustained efforts are made to contain mosquitoes, except through chemical repellents,” Mr. Noronha told The Hindu on Friday. MozziQuit has been validated by Karnataka Veterinary, Animal and Fisheries Sciences University through extensive field trials and certified by the National Institute of Malaria Research for its capacity to attract and kill mosquitoes. He has obtained a patent for the device.
Mr. Noronha uses a simple technology that attracts mosquitoes to the device and kills them. The device gives off a glowing effect because of the food-grade proprietary additives added in its casting part and producing temperature equivalent to the body or blood temperature, thus attracting mosquitoes.
