MonsoonHealth – Mumbai Intensifies Mosquito Control Campaign Ahead of Rainy Season

MonsoonHealth –   With the monsoon season approaching, Mumbai’s civic administration has accelerated citywide mosquito-control operations to reduce the risk of dengue and malaria outbreaks.

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation has expanded its pre-monsoon disease prevention campaign across Mumbai by carrying out large-scale inspections, fogging operations, and clean-up drives in several vulnerable areas. Civic officials said the initiative has been underway since January and is aimed at limiting mosquito breeding before heavy rainfall begins across the city.

Large-Scale Household Inspections Across Mumbai

According to data released by the municipal administration, officials from the Insecticide Department inspected more than 32 lakh households across all 26 civic wards between January 2026 and May 27, 2026. During the same period, fogging activities were conducted near over 30 lakh residential properties as part of preventive measures against vector-borne diseases.

Authorities also confirmed that nearly 22,800 field inspections were completed during the campaign. These inspections were focused on identifying mosquito breeding spots and ensuring timely action before the onset of the monsoon, when cases of dengue and malaria typically rise.

Mosquito Larvae Found at Thousands of Locations

During the inspections, civic teams detected larvae of the Aedes aegypti mosquito, which spreads dengue, at close to 37,800 locations throughout Mumbai. In addition, larvae of the Anopheles stephensi mosquito, linked to malaria transmission, were identified at more than 4,500 sites.

Officials stated that immediate steps were taken to eliminate all breeding sources discovered during the operations. Special attention was given to locations where stagnant water tends to collect, including overhead water tanks, construction materials, discarded containers, flower pots, tyres, plastic sheets, and unused household items.

The clean-up operation also resulted in the removal of nearly 540 abandoned tyres and more than 1.16 lakh pieces of scrap material considered potential mosquito breeding grounds.

Construction Sites Under Increased Monitoring

The civic body has also expanded the campaign to redevelopment zones and active construction projects across the city. Around 4,000 construction and redevelopment sites were brought under surveillance as part of the preventive exercise.

Safety personnel and site supervisors were provided guidance on maintaining proper mosquito-control practices, including regular water drainage and sanitation measures. Officials believe construction areas can become major mosquito breeding locations during the rainy season if preventive steps are ignored.

Municipal Commissioner Ashwini Bhide has reportedly been reviewing the progress of the campaign through regular visits to both city and suburban regions. During these inspections, she interacted with field workers, sanitation staff, and department officials to assess operational challenges and review preparedness measures.

Continuous Surveillance Before Monsoon Arrival

The BMC said more than 1,000 employees and officers from the Insecticide Department are currently involved in ongoing monitoring and inspection work throughout Mumbai. The campaign is being carried out jointly by multiple civic departments, including the Public Health Department, to strengthen disease prevention efforts before the monsoon intensifies.

Officials added that regular spraying and fogging drives are continuing in areas identified as high-risk zones. Authorities are also urging residents to avoid water stagnation inside homes and residential societies, as household-level negligence often contributes to mosquito breeding.

The municipal administration maintained that the current drive is part of a broader preventive healthcare strategy designed to reduce the spread of dengue, malaria, and other mosquito-borne illnesses during the rainy season. Civic authorities said inspections and anti-mosquito operations will continue across Mumbai over the coming weeks to ensure better public health preparedness.