Health authorities in Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar have sharply scaled up post-rainfall disease surveillance, with civic teams conducting 714 chlorine tests, inspecting nearly 30,000 homes, and deploying drones to spray biological larvicide across inaccessible water bodies as part of a citywide monsoon health drive. The intensified operations, reported as of 4 August, aim to contain the spread of water-borne and vector-borne diseases triggered by recent heavy rainfall across Gujarat.

Ahmedabad's Water Quality Checks

The Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) Health Department had, by 9 am on Tuesday, conducted 714 chlorine tests and collected 334 drinking water samples for laboratory examination across the city's seven zones. The South Zone recorded the highest activity, with 172 chlorine tests and 76 water samples, followed by the West Zone with 134 tests and 66 samples.

The North Zone carried out 98 chlorine tests and collected 49 samples, the East Zone conducted 91 tests and 48 samples, the Central Zone completed 89 tests and 40 samples, the South West Zone ran 68 tests and 29 samples, and the North West Zone completed 62 tests and 26 samples. On 3 August alone, teams had conducted 2,258 chlorine tests citywide.

Chlorine Tablets and Mobile Medical Teams

To ensure safe drinking water at the household level, the AMC distributed 10,022 chlorine tablets across all zones on Tuesday, with the South Zone receiving the largest share of 1,796 tablets. On 3 August, the corporation had distributed 37,887 chlorine tablets in a single day. Mobile medical vans and teams have been deployed in rain-affected localities, providing free health check-ups, distributing essential medicines, and offering health guidance to residents.

Gandhinagar's Mosquito-Control Blitz

In Gandhinagar, the Gandhinagar Municipal Corporation (GMC) stepped up vector-control operations after a break in the rains. Over a three-day period, 150 vector control teams inspected 29,759 houses and examined 38,624 water-holding containers — including tanks, drums, barrels, and pots. Of these, 395 houses were found to have active mosquito breeding, with 629 containers testing positive for breeding activity.

Breeding sources were destroyed on the spot, and Abate larvicide treatment was carried out in clean water storage containers. Officials also collected blood samples from 271 suspected fever cases for laboratory diagnosis. As part of post-rain operations, 430 litres of burnt oil were sprayed in roadside pits, drains, tanks, and stagnant water locations to suppress mosquito breeding.

Drone Spraying and Indoor Fogging

In a notable operational escalation, the GMC deployed drones to spray 3,000 litres of biological larvicide over large lakes and locations inaccessible to ground teams — a method increasingly adopted by urban civic bodies across India for post-monsoon vector control. Indoor fogging was carried out in 1,392 houses during the past week, alongside one round of outdoor cold fogging. The corporation confirmed that another round of drone spraying would be undertaken during August.

The GMC urged residents to wear full-sleeved clothing during the day, sleep under mosquito nets at night, and prevent water stagnation in and around their homes. Both civic bodies said preventive operations would continue throughout the monsoon season.