THOOTHUKUDI: Thoothukudi corporation has started throwing ‘oil balls’ to control the mosquito menace. Following intense rains, the mosquito menace has spiked within the corporation’s area, with the public urging the corporation officials to step up controlling measures.
Thoothukudi mayor Jegan Periyasamy said the civic body had deployed over 275 Dengue Breeding Control (DBC) workers to curb the mosquito menace in all the 60 wards in four zones of the corporation. Commissioner S Priyanka said the corporation has stepped up fogging activities such as vehicle-mounted fogging at major waterlogging areas. Besides, pulse fogging and hand fogging machines are used at residential streets and houses.
As water stagnation on the vacant lands is a major concern for breeding mosquitoes, the corporation has intensified Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) sprayers to control them and is throwing oil balls to control the mosquito at the larval stage.
North Zone Sanitary Officer C Rajasekar told TNIE that the ‘oil ball’ is made by folding 300 grams of sawdust in a cotton cloth or jute gunny bag material and rolling it into a ball. Once the ball is soaked in crude or engine oil for 24 hours, it is thrown by the DBC workers at the waterlogged areas, where the Bt sprayers cannot step in.
Periyasamy said the oil content of the ball spreads as a layer over the water surface, which kills the mosquito larvae and also prevents adults from laying eggs on the water surface. “Throwing oil balls has been effectively implemented this year to control the menace, which could potentially trigger viral and contagious diseases,” he said. The oil balls have been thrown at hundreds of places in the north, west and south zones, the official said.
Similarly, the corporation has served notice to vacant land owners to de-water their land plots, and the corporation is evacuating water from several private lands that are causing concerns among the public.