Delhi municipal bodies to unleash terminator train on mosquitoes from August 18

Moving at a speed of 20 kmph, the Mosquito Terminator train will cover a distance of about 150 km, in each cycle. The train will pass through Sarai Rohilla, Delhi Cantonment, Palam, Kishanganj, Lajpat Nagar, Tilak Bridge, Adarsh Nagar, Sabzi Mandi, Narela, Shahdara and Gurgaon.

To control mosquito breeding in water bodies near railway tracks, a Mosquito Terminator train will be pressed into service by the Northern Railway from August 18.

The Mosquito Terminator Train is run jointly by Northern Railway and SDMC. A truck mounted sprayer is loaded on to a low-platform bogey. The officials spray Insecticide to check mosquito breeding in the water and drains along side the railway tracks in Delhi area. (Vipin Kumar/HT Photo)

The train is run every year in cooperation with the municipal bodies.

The train will spray insecticide along the tracks. “The drive is carried out at the end of monsoon, every year with an aim to kill the larvae in water bodies and prevent breeding of mosquitoes,” said a senior Northern Railway official.

The train will run for four days between August 18 and September 16, covering the city in eight trips.

A South Delhi Municipal Corporation official said the train with a power sprayer truck provided by civic agency will be mounted on a wagon to spray the insecticides on water bodies.

“Nearly 400 kilograms of insecticides will be sprayed on two routes between New Delhi and Rewari and New Delhi and Faridabad,” said the public health official.

“Though we have suggested starting fogging drive from July onwards but the railways said the drive would be more effective after monsoon when water gets collected near the tracks. The insecticides will help in preventing mosquito breeding for at least 15 days. Keeping that in mind, we have decided to revisit each route after a short interval,” he said.

“In addition to water bodies, we would spray the insecticide over the depressions created on both sides of railway tracks, where chances of mosquito breeding remain high after rains,” said public health official from North Delhi Municipal Corporation.

The drive has been launched as a precautionary measure to minimise mosquito breeding alongside railway tracks in Delhi area.