The Rajkot Municipal Corporation (RMC) has deployed drone-based surveys and AI-assisted surveillance to identify 4,731 potential mosquito breeding sites across 59.39 sq km of the city, as part of a stepped-up campaign to curb dengue, malaria, and chikungunya. The civic body released the data on Friday, 25 September 2026, underscoring the scale of the technology-backed vector-control drive.

Survey Coverage and Field Response

Of the 4,731 sites flagged by the AI-assisted system, 1,340 have so far been addressed by field staff through insecticide spraying and source-reduction measures. Drones have independently carried out insecticide spraying for a combined 40 hours and nine minutes, according to RMC data.

The ongoing survey spans high-risk wards — specifically Wards 11, 18, 3, 4, and 13 — covering 59.39 sq km of the corporation's total jurisdictional area of 161.85 sq km. Drone operations target drains, waterlogged areas, pits, depressions, and riverbed locations where stagnant water accumulates. The technology is being deployed particularly at sites where conventional spraying is difficult or poses safety risks, the corporation said.

How the Data Flows to Ground Teams

Intelligence gathered by drone surveys is transmitted to health workers at respective wards and urban health centres, who verify each location before carrying out insecticide spraying or source-reduction work. This integration of remote sensing with on-ground verification represents a notable operational shift for a Tier-2 city civic body.

Conventional Vector-Control Measures Continue

Alongside the drone programme, RMC's traditional vector-control operations continued between 17 and 23 September. Field workers, Urban ASHAs, and MPHWs conducted larvicidal activities at 1,50,172 houses, while fogging was carried out at 933 houses. Vehicle-mounted fogging machines were deployed in higher-density mosquito areas, including sensitive residential societies, public roads, and congregation points.

The health department also inspected 409 non-residential premises — covering construction sites, schools, hospitals, hotels, industrial units, hostels, scrap yards, petrol pumps, and government offices — for potential breeding sites. Notices were issued to 312 persons in residential areas and 92 in commercial areas, with administrative charges levied under applicable bylaws.

Water-Borne Disease Surveillance

Simultaneously, the municipal health department ran water-borne disease surveillance through field staff at urban primary health centres. Between 17 and 23 September, approximately 3,04,556 people were covered under the exercise. During this period, 6,559 chlorine tablets and 743 ORS packets were distributed, and 3,484 R.C. tests were conducted.

The RMC has urged residents to prevent water stagnation at homes, cooperate with health teams eliminating breeding sites, maintain drinking-water hygiene, and boil or purify water before consumption. Residents have also been asked to cooperate with drone survey teams operating in their areas.