KOLKATA: Stung by the spate of complaints from passengers and airline staff on mosquito menace at Kolkata airport , the authorities have launched a multi-pronged drive to combat the winged invaders. Armed with repellent and larvicide sprays as well as fogging machines, an elite pest control force is taking on the mosquito swarms in the grounds and inside the terminal.Following a TOI report on Monday that highlighted the problems that passengers and airline staff are facing inside the airport terminal, the tarmac, airport coaches and even on flights due to the sharp rise in mosquitoes in the belt, senior officials of the airport held an emergency meeting and decided on a slew of measures to take stock of the situation, draw up a combat blueprint and swing into action. “A team led by the airport health officer inspected the terminal, apron area and the grounds to identify possible problem areas, like breeding grounds of mosquitoes and hubs of larvae as well as adult mosquitoes so that specific vector-control measures could be adopted. Some of the areas have already been identified and we have started spraying larvicide and insecticide and fogging the areas,” said Kolkata airport director Kaushik Bhattacharya.In the terminal, the departure lounge located in the arrival area with gates 23A to 23F from where passengers take airline coaches to flights parked in the remote bays is a problem area with mosquitoes getting free access to the lounge through the six gates. “Unlike the other departure gates that have aerobridges that link directly to the planes and hence, don’t allow mosquitoes access to either the aircraft or terminal, the lounge from where passengers board the buses is vulnerable. Since it is crowded most of the day, we have identified a window between 1am and 4.30am when the lounge is empty. During these hours, we will carry out spraying,” said Bhattacharya.While vector-control measures were taken twice a week earlier, it has now been decided that it will be done daily for the next four-six weeks. “This is the mosquito breeding season. We have therefore stepped up the drive inside as well as outside the terminal. More men will be deployed for this special drive for the next four-six weeks,” he said.The drainage basins beyond the apron area and grates that cover drains within the apron area have also been identified as possible breeding grounds. “We have hired two separate agencies to work on the airside and city-side areas. In the drainage basins and lagoons in the operational areas, we are releasing guppy fish that feed on mosquitoes,” said the airport director.

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