MCD launches ‘mosquito terminator train’ to tackle vector-borne diseases in Delhi

To combat mosquito-borne diseases, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), in collaboration with the Northern Railway, on Monday launched a ‘Mosquito Terminator Train’ from the New Delhi railway station, officials said.

Flagged off by Mayor Raja Iqbal Singh, the train is equipped with a special truck mounted on a railway wagon with a power sprayer to release anti-larval chemicals along the railway tracks.

The spraying will cover an area within a 50-60 metre radius on both sides of the tracks, including stretches that are otherwise difficult to access manually.

“Water often accumulates around the railway tracks due to rain, creating breeding grounds for mosquitoes. With the mosquito terminator train, large-scale spraying will help eliminate diseases like dengue, malaria, and chikungunya from their root. This is not just a train but a shield to safeguard the health of Delhiites,” Singh said.

MCD Commissioner Ashwini Kumar said the joint campaign is an important public health initiative aimed at providing relief to lakhs of residents.

“The municipal corporation is carrying out cleanliness and mosquito eradication drives in a mission mode. However, this campaign will only be successful if every citizen participates in it. People must ensure that water does not stagnate in and around their homes and extend support to the corporation’s efforts,” Kumar said.

The commissioner added that the drive, which will continue until September, is expected to significantly help in controlling mosquito-borne diseases in the city.

“Compared to last year, the number of dengue cases has been considerably lower this year,” he said.

Senior officials, including Additional Commissioner Pankaj Naresh Agrawal, Public Health Officer Ashok Rawat, and representatives from the Northern Railway and MCD were present at the flag-off ceremony.