‘Fogging harmful to human beings'

Chemicals used in fogging are carcinogenic and very dangerous to health, says expert

Fogging was harmful for human beings and was not an effective measure in controlling the mosquito menace, director of Sir Ronald Ross Institute of Parasitology (SRRIP), B. Reddya Naik said on Wednesday.

“There is a misconception among public, and even among authorities, that fogging is the best way to control mosquito menace. Fogging is an agricultural process and should be used only for that purpose. The chemicals used in fogging are carcinogenic and are very dangerous to health,” Mr. Naik explained.

“The best way to control the problem of mosquitoes is to kill them when they are still in the larva stage as it is very difficult to reduce the menace once they become adults,” he said.

He was speaking on the sidelines of the inaugural function of one-week long orientation course on mosquito control measures, being conducted for the senior GHMC officials.

Earlier, GHMC Commissioner M.T. Krishna Babu, pointed out the importance of training the GHMC personnel in proper mosquito control measures.

Orientation programme

“Twenty-five senior officials from GHMC are undergoing the orientation programme now, but there are about 2,000 people working under these officials. For effective implementation of mosquito control measures, these people should also undergo similar orientation courses,” he said. Mr. Babu also promised to provide funds for preserving the institution's heritage building.