Guntur Deploys AI Drones in Anti-Malaria Drive
Vijayawada: Guntur Municipal Corporation (GMC) has launched a technology-driven campaign to curb the growing mosquito menace in the city, using AI-based drones to spray anti-larval chemicals in major water bodies and sea-level areas under the ‘Mosquito Mission’ initiative.
GMC commissioner K. Mayur Ashok said the large-scale operation was launched following increasing complaints from residents regarding increasing mosquito population and seasonal diseases. This initiative aims to prevent the spread of mosquito-borne diseases such as malaria, dengue fever and chikungunya, while moving towards making Guntur a malaria-free city.
According to the commissioner’s statement, drone spraying is carried out in 26 large ponds and stagnant water areas covering an area of approximately 174 decares across the city. He said dense vegetation, including water hyacinth and thick aquatic vegetation in ponds, made manual spraying by malaria field staff both risky and ineffective in many places.
To solve the problem, GMC has introduced AI-enabled drones that can fly at low altitudes over water surfaces and precisely spray Temephos larvicide on mosquito breeding hotspots. Drones will help cover larger areas in less time and reach inaccessible places where breeding is often unchecked, officials said.
The commissioner said special work will not be limited to ponds only. Continuous fogging and larva prevention works are carried out in all wards, especially in high-risk areas, slums and construction areas where stagnant water accumulation is common.
Ashok said control and eradication of malaria cannot be achieved through government action alone and called for public participation. He urged residents to prevent water stagnation in home drains, flower pots, old tires and air coolers, and to observe a weekly “Dry Day” every Friday to eliminate breeding sources.
He also advised people to use mosquito nets, repellents and window screens to reduce exposure to mosquito bites. He added that free blood testing and malaria treatment facilities were available at all government health centers in the city and urged people with fever to seek medical help immediately.
