In order to substantially mitigate the threat of chikungunya and dengue, South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) flagged off a mosquito terminator train from New Delhi Railway Station. With power sprayers mounted on a truck placed over the train, the civic body sprayed insecticides both the sides of the railway track.
SDMC Commissioner Dr Puneet Kumar Goel said that normally it is difficult to move a wagon loaded with truck i.e. over dimension consignment on the trains. “The spray through the terminator train will help in putting an end to larvae and eliminating mosquitoes. The terminator train moves at a speed of 20 km/ph covering a distance about 150 km in each cycle,” he said.
Goel conveyed his thanks to the Divisional Railway Manager (DRM, Northern Railway) R N Singh for assisting in obtaining permission required for running this train.
He further said that apart from water bodies, the train sprays insecticides over depression created on both sides of railway tracks, where chances of mosquito breeding remain high after rains.
The DRM also said that the effort is an example of fruitful co-operation for a specific cause in public interest between the two Governmental agencies.
“This annual drive is a precautionary measure to minimize mosquito breeding alongside railway tracks. It is expected that large number of people would be protected with the move,” Singh said.
A senior SDMC official informed that the special train on run will spray insecticide to sanitize the water bodies along the tracks from New Delhi Railway Station, Hazrat Niazamuddin, lajpat Nagar, Sewa Nagar, lodi Colony, Delhi Safdarjang, Patel Nagar, Delhi Kishanganj Sadar Bazar and back to New Delhi on the first day and from New Delhi, Sadar Bazar, Sarai Rohilla, Patel Nagar, Delhi Cantt., Palam, Gurgaon and back to New Delhi on the next day.