AAP government to begin fogging drive to make Delhi 'mosquito-free'

The Delhi government will launch a month-long intensive fogging drive across the city on Thursday to make it “free of mosquitoes”, the carriers of chikungunya and dengue virus.

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, soon after returning from Bengaluru, had spelt out the roadmap in this regard by calling for a “war” to exterminate mosquitoes. He had ordered the procurement of fogging machines.

Accordingly, the drive will begin with 200 fogging machines and by September 26, 600 machines will be deployed, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia told a press conference in New Delhi.

“We will make Delhi mosquito-free,” Sisodia said.

“Although fogging is the job of the municipal bodies butwe will supplement their efforts since it is a period of crisis. We have prepared a comprehensive plan according to which fogging will be undertaken in each and every lane of Delhi every alternate day,” he said.

But experts have time and again highlighted the pitfalls of excessive focus on fogging which they say does not achieve anything more than producing a feel-good effect among people, as it hits only the adult mosquitoes, “and not the larvae that are the source of breeding”.

However, Sisodia assured that the fogging programme would be conducted according to World Health Organisation guidelines.

“Medical experts suggest that direct inhalation of diesel fumes (that fogging emits), combined with insecticides, can exacerbate asthma or bronchitis among those with respiratory ailments. Pregnant women, small children and old people are most susceptible to aggravation,” a report prepared by Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) says.