Speaking to reporters after inspecting the civic health department’s initiative to eliminate mosquitoes and its larvae in Cooum River and Buckingham Canal using boats, Mayor M Subramanian said, “With the monsoon setting in, civic body has started its mega drive on Monday to curb the mosquito menace across the city and the civic health department has outlined several measures to control breeding of mosquitoes and outbreak of diseases.”

Besides deputing 850 staff, the civic body has engaged nine catamarans and six fibre boats for eradicating the mosquito larvae along the 123-km stretch of waterways (including both Cooum River and Buckingham Canal) and the 1,000 km-odd long storm-water drain network in the city, the Mayor added.

To curb mosquito breeding along storm-water drains, its lids have been opened for spraying insecticide and larvicides and water hyacinth was also being removed from the water bodies.

Besides 20 big vehicle mounted fumigators, 291 hand-held sprayers, 75 mechanical sprayers and 10 fogging machines attached to three-wheelers have been pressed into fogging operations, the Mayor said.

The public has been instructed on cleaning of overhead tanks and sumps, and preventing water stagnation to prevent breeding of mosquitoes.