BMC to launch eco-friendly device to curb vector-borne diseases
Shashi Bala, head of the business department of BMC said, “This innovative trap will be of great help in controlling the number of mosquitoes that spread diseases like malaria and dengue. It will soon be used on a pilot basis in the mosquito-infested areas of the Mumbai Municipal Corporation.”
Mumbai: In order to prevent the spread of vector-borne infections in the city, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Monday announced to launch a pilot project called ‘Eco Biotraps’ – a start-up to control malaria.
The Society for Mumbai Incubation Lab to Entrepreneurship (SMILE) Council of BMC said the innovative measure will bring down mosquito breeding in an eco-friendly way. Shashi Bala, head of the business department of BMC said, “This innovative trap will be of great help in controlling the number of mosquitoes that spread diseases like malaria and dengue. It will soon be used on a pilot basis in the mosquito-infested areas of the Mumbai Municipal Corporation.”
Eco Biotraps is pegged as an eco-friendly trap with ‘attractants’ that attract female mosquitoes and lay eggs in its water. These eggs are instantly destroyed by the specific insecticides in the water.
Eco Biotraps are made from recycled cardboard. It consists of a small bag containing a mixture of attractant and insecticide. Keeping in mind that female mosquitoes lay their eggs in water, these traps are filled with water and placed in mosquito-infested areas. The attractant and insecticide (Insect Growth Regulator granules) in the trap bag are immediately mixed with water. After which, the attractant in the water attracts the female mosquito to lay her eggs there. The insecticide present in the water destroys the mosquito eggs.
The attractants and insecticides used in this trap are safe for humans.
BMC said that the Eco Biotraps is the world’s first ‘passive’ and eco-friendly device and has been patented in 50 countries including India.
BMC added that from April 2022 to March 2023, it visited nearly 49,000 households and inspected nearly 4.4 lakh water tanks. The insecticide department destroyed a total of 10,788 breeding sites of Anopheles mosquitoes – carriers of malaria.
