'Terminator' Train to Fight Chikungunya, Dengue In Delhi

Run by Northern Railways, the Terminator train, armed with spraying machines, will run through the Capital from September 23 and continue for two months.

To combat chikungunya and dengue, a 'terminator' train mounted with spraying machines to target insects will now be pressed into action in Delhi.

The move, a joint collaboration between Delhi's civic bodies and Northern Railways, will begin from September 23 and continue for two months, with an interval of two weeks.

Dengue Cases Climb Upto 771 With 284 New Cases in Delhi
New cases of dengue and chikungunya in the last one week in Delhi has made health officials take measures to create awareness.

‘Chikungunya and dengue have wreaked havoc in the Indian capital with the death toll from the two vector-borne diseases climbing to 30.’

As per the plan, an insecticide spraying machine will be mounted on the last wagon of the special train, which will then make its rounds through the NCR. The sprayers can sanitise up to a distance of 50-60 meters from the tracks.

"This train will cover a distance of 150 km approximately and we hope this will help curb the mosquito menace in the capital,"said a municipal official.

Municipal officials said while the power sprayer will be provided to the railways by the civic agencies, the targeted areas will be the large population living around railway tracks who are exposed to aedes and other types of mosquitoes leading to a comparatively higher incidence of dengue and malaria.

Dengue and Chikungunya Death Toll Rises to 32
Surveillance for dengue and chikungunya in India presently captures only those patients who are laboratory confirmed at government identified sentinel hospitals.

"The water bodies formed on the land adjacent to tracks, which are otherwise inaccessible, act as a breeding ground for mosquitoes. The insecticide sprayed over the water bodies will check the threat in the most effective manner," said a municipal official.

The terminator train will pass through Old Delhi's Sarai Rohilla, Patel Nagar, Delhi Cantonment, Palam, Safdarjung, Kishanganj, Lajpat Nagar, Hazrat Nizamuddin, Adarsh Nagar, Rathdhana, Shahdara, Palam and Gurgaon.

No Need to Panic Over Chikungunya and Dengue: Delhi's Aam Aadmi Party
There is no need to panic over the spread of chikungunya and dengue in the national capital and enough hospital beds are still available, said Delhi's ruling AAP.

Meanwhile, taking a cue from the rising number of diseases, the Delhi government on Friday issued orders asking all private hospitals to furnish data of chikungunya patients to ensure proper monitoring of the disease.

"The information is imperative to ensure proper monitoring and for making future policies. We have asked all hospitals to give us all information regarding chikungunya cases," said a Delhi government official. The Delhi government has also asked all mohalla clinics, nursing homes, polyclinics to remain open on all holidays.

Dengue Cases on Rise in Madhya Pradesh, 277 People Test Positive for the Disease
Dengue cases in Madhya Pradesh are on the rise with at least 277 people testing positive for the mosquito-borne tropical disease.

Recent reports claim that chikungunya and dengue have wreaked havoc in the Capital with the death toll from the two vector-borne diseases climbing to 30. The number of affected people has crossed 3,000.

Source-Medindia