In response to the rising number of dengue cases, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) has launched a campaign using drones to spray anti-larva medicine in waterlogged areas. On Monday, drones were deployed to cover 15 hectares of waterlogged land in Narela’s Rani Khera ward, marking the first time that drones have been used for this purpose in Delhi.
Mayor Shelly Oberoi, who inaugurated the initiative, emphasized that stagnant water increases the risk of vector-borne diseases like dengue. The drone spraying campaign aims to tackle hard-to-reach areas where manual spraying is difficult due to waterlogging and the presence of dangerous creatures like snakes and scorpions.
According to MCD data, Delhi has recorded 3,082 cases of dengue so far this year, with three deaths. The number of cases is the highest in the last five years, except for 2023. The city has also reported 643 cases of malaria, the highest in five years, and a rise in chikungunya cases, with 102 cases recorded so far.
The use of drones is expected to make spraying more efficient in waterlogged and unsafe areas, helping to control the spread of these vector-borne diseases.