Motofog to fumigate streets of Karachi

30 motorcycle-bound fumigation machines will be utilised to control population of mosquitoes

KARACHI: A motorcycle-bound fumigation machine, called Motofog, will soon be fumigating the streets of Karachi and spraying chemicals in order to control the population of mosquitoes in the city.

Thirty Motofog machines have been introduced for the first time in Pakistan by the Prevention and Control Programme for Dengue. The Motofog will be used in areas where other fumigation vehicles cannot reach due to less space.

"The induction of the new machines will be more effective in a city like Karachi since it can go in narrow lanes," said Prevention and Control Programme for Dengue Programme Manager Dr Masood Solangi. According to him, the cost of a single machine is Rs0.2 million. The machine is movable and can fumigate the areas where chikungunya outbreak has affected thousands of citizens, he said. These areas include Khokhrapar, Saudabad, Ibrahim Hyderi, Keamari, New Karachi, Orangi and Lyari.



"The machines can bring an impact and will be utilised from the coming week in all the areas where mosquito-borne diseases have affected the lives of people," he said, adding that the species of mosquitoes have become more resistant.

According to Dr Solangi, the World Health Organization's (WHO) first intervention to control the population of mosquitoes is by controlling garbage and sewerage, whereas the second intervention is through chemical control and fumigation to destroy the breeding grounds of mosquitoes. He added that it's the responsibility of the departments providing civic amenities but they have failed to keep the environment clean by not properly dumping the garbage and mending the sewerage system, which are the main breeding sites of the mosquitoes.

Earlier, the WHO mission investigated the outbreak of chikungunya last week and presented its recommendations to follow the effective and integrated vector control interventions through stringent actions. Many cases of chikungunya fever have surfaced in the metropolis since December. However, there has been no intervention by the government to completely control it.