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Mosquito menace: Andhra fields AI, drones, and sensors to bite back
Chennai
Are you worried about the mosquito menace in your city during the monsoon season? There may well be an artificial intelligence-powered solution to that too.
In a first-of-its-kind move, the Andhra Pradesh government is set to launch an innovative tech-based mosquito control programme using artificial intelligence. Called the Smart Mosquito Surveillance System (SMoSS), the system will help track and control mosquito populations more efficiently and safely.
The pilot project will kick off at 66 locations across six major municipal corporations—Visakhapatnam (16 spots), Vijayawada (28), Kakinada (4), Rajamahendravaram (5), Nellore (7), and Kurnool (6). The initiative is being led by the Municipal Administration and Urban Development (MAUD) Department.
How it works
'This will enable close monitoring and ensure prompt fumigation in the affected areas in a data-driven approach for effective control of mosquitoes instead of the present 'blind spraying' process that has little impact. The IoT sensors will monitor mosquito density and guide the targeted activity,' said officials involved in the process, who recently reviewed the system's capabilities.
By using drones for spraying larvicide, officials say the system will cover more ground in less time, with fewer chemicals and at a lower cost. The system also includes a real-time dashboard that streams live data to a central server, allowing continuous tracking and quick response.
S Suresh Kumar, Principal Secretary of MAUD, and P Sampath Kumar, Director of Municipal Administration, said: 'We will be outsourcing the operations completely to specialised agencies, and payment will be result-oriented by fixing operational accountability. Complaints, if any, from the citizens and field-level functionaries will be tracked via mobile applications (Vector Control and Puramitra).'
To further strengthen the response, hospitals across the state will send daily reports of cases like dengue, malaria, and chikungunya. Based on this, mosquito hotspots will be identified and targeted for action. Special plans are being prepared for fogging and larval treatment in those areas.
'The whole focus and approach of SMoSS is safeguarding public health. Prevention (of diseases) through containment (of vectors) will be the driving spirit,' the officials noted. This comes at a time when the Andhra Pradesh government, led by Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu, has been consistently focusing on transforming the state into the first in the country to adopt AI early in governance. The move also highlights the government's efforts to integrate AI into people's daily lives.
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