The MCD will soon float a tender for the procurement of drones that will be deployed for monitoring and concurrent anti-larval spraying on major drains and far-flung areas to prevent the breeding of mosquito larvae, officials said on Monday.

The move comes amid a rise in dengue cases in Delhi. According to the latest report issued by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), the tally was at 243 till July 28.

"As per our plan, we will be procuring drones for monitoring and concurrent anti-larval spray activity. The tender for the procurement of drones will be floated soon and, within a month-and-a-half, the project should be on the ground," a senior MCD official told PTI.

The drones will be used to spray larvicide on major drains, as also for checking any mosquito larvae breeding on rooftops, etc, he said. Drones and Artificial Intelligence-based platforms will be used this year as part of a comprehensive plan to combat dengue, with focused fumigation at monument sites, hotels and markets in Delhi, which will host the G20 Summit in September.

A senior MCD official said "our plan is to make the city cleaner, safer and more vibrant" so that the visiting delegates of the bloc go back with a wonderful experience. India assumed the year-long presidency of the G20 on December 1. The summit will take place at the newly-built Bharat Mandapam convention complex in Pragati Maidan here.

In a statement in February, the MCD said it has "envisioned a comprehensive and proactive plan to prevent dengue this year with special focus on G20 meeting venues, monuments, hotels, shopping mall, famous markets and other places of gathering of the delegates". As part of this comprehensive plan, unmanned aerial vehicle- or drone-based vector surveillance and concurrent anti-larval spraying will be done on major drains to prevent the breeding of mosquito larvae, it had said.

Larvivorous fish will be released in water bodies to prevent mosquito larva breeding through the biological control method. Fogging will be carried out according to National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme guidelines, whenever required and keeping National Green Tribunal orders in mind, in an ecofriendly manner, the MCD had said.?

The MCD report on Monday said 72 malaria cases were recorded in the January 1-July 28 period. The number of dengue cases reported in July so far stood at 121, 40 in June and 23 in May. Delhi reported 169 dengue cases for the same period (January 1-July 28) in 2022, 52 in 2021, 31 in 2020, 40 in 2019 and 56 in 2018.