New Delhi, 21 August (H.S.): Delhi Mayor Pravesh Wahi on Friday flagged off the ‘Mosquito Terminator Train-2026’ (MTT) from New Delhi Railway Station, formally launching a special campaign aimed at preventing and controlling mosquito-borne diseases across the national capital.

Mayor Pravesh Wahi said that the Mosquito Terminator Train-2026 is a joint and meticulously planned vector-control initiative of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) and Northern Railway. Ahead of the campaign, the MCD conducted a special cleanliness drive along railway tracks and adjoining areas, clearing the surroundings and identifying potential mosquito-breeding sites. As the next phase of the campaign, extensive anti-larval treatment is now being carried out in identified and vulnerable areas.

The mayor said that approximately 75 kilometres of railway tracks and adjoining areas would be covered during the first phase of the Mosquito Terminator Train-2026. Special attention will be given to low-lying areas, waterlogged spots and potential mosquito-breeding sites located on both sides of the railway tracks. Anti-larval chemicals will be sprayed extensively in these areas.

Power spray tankers will operate alongside the train to ensure that insecticides can be effectively applied even at locations that are difficult to access manually.

Wahi said that water accumulation around railway tracks and in low-lying areas during the monsoon increases the likelihood of mosquito breeding. Breaking the mosquito breeding cycle at an early stage is therefore one of the key objectives of the campaign. He said the special initiative would further strengthen the MCD’s prevention and control measures against mosquito-borne diseases such as dengue, malaria and chikungunya.

The mayor said that the campaign would not be restricted to a single designated route. Instead, various important railway corridors across Delhi would be covered in a phased manner. As per the scheduled programme, anti-larval activities will be conducted along several railway routes, including New Delhi-Rathdhana, Adarsh Nagar-Badli, Delhi Junction, Delhi Shahdara, Hazrat Nizamuddin, Lajpat Nagar, Sarai Rohilla, Patel Nagar, Safdarjung, Kishanganj, Sadar Bazar, Delhi Cantonment, Palam-Gurugram, Faridabad and Okhla-Tughlakabad.

He said the campaign would continue as per the scheduled programme through September, with teams from the MCD and Northern Railway working in close coordination to carry out mosquito-control activities across various railway areas.

The concerned zonal teams and health officials will monitor the campaign. During each trip, the availability of power spray tankers, drivers, water and the required insecticides and larvicides will be ensured.

Wahi said that, as per the scheduled programme, the Assistant Malaria Officers and Malaria Superintendents of the respective zones would ensure arrangements for power spray tankers, drivers, water, insecticides and larvicides for each trip. The concerned Zonal Deputy Health Officers and epidemiologists would supervise the campaign and coordinate with Northern Railway to ensure its smooth implementation.

The mayor also appealed to Delhi residents not to view cleanliness merely as the responsibility of the civic body, but to treat it as a collective responsibility. He urged citizens to prevent water from accumulating in and around their homes and offices, regularly clean coolers and water tanks, and eliminate potential mosquito-breeding sites.

Public Health Officer Ashok Rawat, along with senior officials from the Municipal Corporation of Delhi and Northern Railway, was also present on the occasion.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar