Bioenvironmental control of malaria at the Indian Drugs and Pharmaceuticals Ltd., Rishikesh (U.P.)

Bioenvironmental control of malaria was achieved at the Indian Drugs and Pharmaceuticals Ltd. (IDPL) complex, Rishikesh, Dehra Dun distt., Uttar Pradesh, India. The IDPL complex is in 15 sq km area with about 25,000 population. One major mosquito-breeding site of about one sq km was eliminated by diverting the factory effluents into a drain. Filling borrow pits, ditches and low-lying areas with burnt coke ash, cleaning blocked drains, mosquito-proofing the overhead water tanks, application of larvivorous fishes and improved case detection and treatment were the additional malaria-control measures. Impact assessment of the interventions revealed that there was 25% reduction in malaria incidence as well as 90% reduction in the use of antimalarials, and a considerable reduction in nuisance mosquito species and malaria vector densities.