Aerial spraying of BTI shelved

Ridma DISSANAYAKE

The Health Ministry postponed the aerial spraying of the Cuban BTI due to the bad weather spell, a ministry spokesman said yesterday. Experts say aerial spraying of the Cuban BTI bacteria during this period will not be effective due to the rain. The Cuban BTI bacteria can be washed away under these circumstances, they said.

It has been decided February and March next year as the best period for spraying the BTI bacteria in Sri Lanka, the sources said. The government is to spend over Rs 1,300 million on the pilot project to aerial spray Cuban BTI bacteria. Spraying the BTI bacteria during the current period would not bring about the desired results.

Health Ministry sources said they have sufficient stocks of the BTI bacteria and arrangements will be made to aerial spray Cuban BTI bacteria in the first quarter of next year.

The pilot project of spraying Cuban BTI bacteria from the air got underway with the help of an Air Force helicopter.

“Dengue is spreading in Colombo due to the large number of high rise buildings with concrete slabs and half built structures with concrete slabs on top of them. Gutters are the other main problem. Nobody can reach them to destroy mosquito breeding sites in confined areas. The BTI bacteria will be sprayed from air to solve this problem,” the spokesman said.