Doing away with mosquitoes
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A permanent electro-mechanical device to address mosquito menace. A look at a Bangalorean’s offer by Ranjani Govind
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PEST REPELLER: The mosquito killer devices designed by L. Devadass.
Dealing with infrastructure inadequacies, being accountable for hygienic up-gradations and bringing in a sense of aesthetics to our city life are part of Bangalore Mahanagara Palike’s work for improving social structure. After all, every progressive step in an area is inversely becoming the key factor for the real estate prices taking shape.
Ruling land prices are a commentary on the existing conveniences. Who will not remember the incident of the well-known BTM Layout deal a few years ago when a landowner was on cloud nine when he thought he was a crorepathi after fina lising his 50 x 80 land deal.
Within days the shell-shocked owner found his dream shattered when the buyer retracted on the deal after learning that the nearby lake bred mosquitoes that invaded households and posed health hazards. How much do we know about the containing of the killer parasites except that we see the corporation vans zoom past once in a while to spray pesticides that form a thick white fog?
This is where the invention of an equipment, ‘Adult Mosquito Control Device,’ by L. Devadass of Dev Amedee Mosquito Control Devices gains importance.
Steel appliance
This eco-friendly mosquito tower made of steel and resembling a rocket, operates on an electro-mechanical device, which attracts mosquitoes towards the tower and eventually kills them by transmitting heat.
Solar panels are also being considered for inclusion, as it would utilise natural energy for generating heat. It comes in two models – 14 feet and six feet. The bigger ones are used in large lakes while the smaller ones are enough to tackle them in a park or in domestic apartments.
His mobile unit is equipped with mosquito-attractants along with three kinds of devices mounted on a van, besides small eco-friendly sprayers that can be run through the city. Says Devadass, “Lakes, ponds, stagnant water, drains and parks are all mosquito breeding centres.
In Bangalore there are nearly 100 lakes, half of which are devoid of maintenance. Open drains running through several areas too emit a stench. Greenery in parks too attracts these marauders who are too strong to bow down to the onslaught from pesticides. My innovation will help get rid of 60 per cent of the menace within a month."
With Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike bringing in more wards into its jurisdiction, there are nearly 150 wards with parks and drains to be handled for restraining the mosquito threat. “The challenge lies in addressing the issue without the use of chemicals. When we talk of remedy we have to look into sustainable features that will take the system across without harm to people,” says Devadass.
Patent process
When Devadass approached the Central Government to consider his researched product for use in the capital or for recommendation from the First Office for local use, President Abdul Kalam sent an emissary with advise to apply for a patent for his innovation, before his products were considered for use.
With renewed zest the Bangalorean, is all excited about the soon-to-be-patented product and is keen to apply to the Limca and Guiness Book of Records. For large scale application, Devadass has been asked to give a live demonstration of his Adult Mosquito Control Device before a three-member expert committee constituted by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
He has been asked to install his huge equipment at the Bellandur lake where 75 per cent of the city’s sewage reaches the lake for treatment after which it joins the Varthur tank for use in agricultural areas.
The other 25 per cent of sewage reaches the Kengeri treatment plant. If the proposal from Devadass is cleared by the committee of BBMP officials, perhaps there will be respite from DDT and other pesticides to a large extent while handling mosquitoes.
Devadass’ proposal, pending for a while now, to handle 100 wards with parks, lakes and drains will cost the BMP about Rs.10 crore to start with. A former employee of HAL-Aircraft Division, and a Priyadarshini Award Winner, he hails from a family of inventors.
His father, Louis Rock Amdee, had won the National Invention Award (All India Exhibition of Patents and Designs, Calcutta) for his one-spindle charka used by Mahatma Gandhi.
Devadass also won awards for his prototype of electro-mechanically operated solar system and a battery-operated wonder blackboard covering the primary school syllabus.
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