
Patna: With the onset of the rainy season intensifying the mosquito menace, the Patna Municipal Corporation (PMC) has launched an aggressive anti-larvae drive aimed at flushing out breeding grounds across the city.
In a decisive move, municipal officials announced that anti-larvae chemicals will now be sprayed directly into cleaned drains and manholes as part of a ramped-up public health initiative. The announcement was made during a special training session led by Municipal Commissioner Animesh Kumar Parashar at Adalatganj pond on Friday.
The door-to-door campaign, scheduled to begin on Saturday, will deploy teams armed with both mounted and handheld fogging machines. Each team will follow a zone-wise roster, ensuring coverage across all 75 wards and 375 sectors of the city. At least 50 households per sector will be treated daily, officials confirmed.
In addition to conventional fogging, PMC is doubling down on its innovative use of Kunni and Mobil—a traditional method introduced last year that uses smoke from wooden kunni logs and engine oil as a natural mosquito repellent. This low-tech but effective method will be utilised extensively in areas with open drains and manholes.
The Health Officer has been tasked with overseeing the entire operation, ensuring that the anti-larvae chemical Temephos 50 EC is sprayed thoroughly across all zones. Regular inspections and strict monitoring have been mandated.
To bolster public participation, the civic body is urging residents to report mosquito breeding sites or missed visits through its toll-free helpline, 155304, which operates 24/7 in three shifts.
All zonal executive officers, medical officers, city managers, sanitation officials, and supervisors have been placed on high alert and held directly accountable for the success of the campaign.
This intensified mosquito control effort marks PMC’s latest attempt to curb the spread of vector-borne diseases during monsoon and protect public health in one of Bihar’s most densely populated urban centres.