SDMC deploys drones to spray disinfectants

NEW DELHI: South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) has deployed drones to spray disinfectants at Nizamuddin, which has become an epicentre of COVID-19 outbreak.

A senior SDMC official said that the civic body used drones to spray one per cent sodium hypochlorite solution to disinfect Nizamuddin and the surrounding areas. “We also deployed two fire tenders for spraying the solution in Nizamuddin Basti, Nizamuddin West colony and above Markaj building for adequate sanitization and disinfection,” he said.

“The drones with a capacity of holding over five litres of liquid, was used to avoid infection among sanitation staffs,” he added. A team of four public health field workers with power sprayers wearing full body PPE (Hazmat suit) sanitised Markaz House disinfected all the eight floors including the basement after the building was vacated, he added.

The official further said that the SDMC also deployed 40 teams dedicated for spraying the solution with shoulder mounted knapsack pumps in narrow streets and localities where accessibility for tractor or truck based spraying is not possible.

Apart from this, four tractor driven tankers were also deployed to spray disinfectant, he said, adding that the civic body had also launched an awareness campaign to caution people by using public address system in Nizamuddin.

SDMC has also started ground-level monitoring on a continuous basis to assess the scenario so that it can deploy more manpower and machinery at the virus-affected areas.

The civic body has expedited sanitising the area after news of a sudden detection of multiple Coronavirus cases at the Delhi-based headquarters of Tablighi Jamaat in Nizamuddin came to light. It was attended by thousands of followers including people from J&K, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.