KMC uses drones to spray larvicide at Food & Supplies dept godown, Bikramgarh Jheel

Kolkata: Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) on Tuesday carried out anti-dengue drives using drones in the godown premises of Food and Supplies department and at Bikramgarh Jheel.

The civic body lately has been using drones to survey areas which are inaccessible to KMC vector control workers. The drones are being used to first carry out surveillance to spot the possible mosquito breeding grounds. Thereafter, these machines are being used to spray larvicide.

On Tuesday, the KMC carried out the same exercise at Bikramgarh Jheel which over the years has not only shrunk in size due to encroachments but has also become polluted with random dumping of wastes.

The waterbody, apart from being covered in algal bloom, also has dense vegetation growing in it. A drone was dispatched and then the chemical ‘Temephos’ was sprayed to kill mosquito larvae.

Earlier this year, KMC had sent a proposal to the state government asking for financial support to carry out dredging in this waterbody so it can be used for pisciculture. Studies by Jadavpur University had revealed that dredging is the only way to begin the restoration of the jheel due to heavy silt deposition there. “Without desilting, no other initiatives such as pisciculture can be taken up at this jheel,” said a civic body official.

However, with the costs being too high, as much as Rs 9 crore approximately, the civic body was forced to find some other solution. Presently, the residents around the waterbody have complained of an increase in mosquito bites. They said every monsoon and post monsoon the situation becomes worse.

Meanwhile, KMC also visited the Food and Supplies department’s godown premises near Lake Gardens flyover. Here too, larvicide was sprayed. In July, Mayor Firhad Hakim received complaints by residents living near the godown premises that there could be a dengue or malaria outbreak because the pond inside the godown premises is covered in algal bloom while the premises remain ill maintained.

Hakim had ordered the Health department officials to send a notice to the Food and Supplies department. He said that KMC could clean the pond and send the bill of cleaning charges to the department. Hakim said that after cleaning, KMC may release Guppy fish there to avoid any mosquito breeding.