A smart mosquito sensor installed in a home in ward number 10 in Vijayawada. | Photo credit: HANDOUT
After the trial installation of a smart mosquito eliminator in Currency Nagar earlier this month, the Vijayawada Municipal Corporation (VMC) last week installed a smart mosquito sensor in ward number 10 as part of its measures to control the mosquito menace ahead of monsoon.
While these two portable machines are currently in trial operation, VMC plans to procure seven units soon. The smart mosquito eliminator can catch around 50,000 mosquitoes within a range of 50 to 100 meters and kill them, while the sensor only provides information about the gender, species and density of mosquitoes in the city.
After the sensor machine was installed in ward number 10 last week, analysis from the device revealed that the ward is mostly harboring malaria-causing Anopheles mosquitoes. “Their presence indicates stagnation of fresh water. Identifying the sex and species of the mosquito leads to a significant reduction in vector-borne diseases,” said VMC Chief Medical Officer of Health K. Arjuna Rao.
The presence of Culex mosquitoes, which cause filaria, would mean stagnation of murky water, while a third species, Aedes, which causes dengue fever, chikungunya, breeds when the weather changes, a VMC official said, adding that identification of the species is guided by remedial measures, including cleaning canals or drains.
“Based on sensor data, we are currently identifying breeding sites in the city and designing an action plan that will include oil spraying using drones to control breeding, manual cleaning of canals and water bodies and fogging,” said Mr. Arjuna Rao. He added that every department will soon get a fogger (sprayer) equipped with an IoT-based tracking system.
One of the main breeding grounds for mosquitoes is discarded PET (polyethylene terephthalate) bottles in the sewer. To solve this problem, the corporation has allowed sewer workers to collect and sell these bottles. Each worker collects 1 kg of PET bottles per day, a total of around 1,000 kg per day. These bottles are sold to scrap dealers at ₹15 per kg.
This is a win-win move for both the corporation and sanitation workers as it helps keep the drains clean and also gives the workers some extra money, said a medical official.
Published – 25 March 2026 20:33 IST
