The launch of a separate force for mosquito eradication by the United Democratic Front (UDF) governing committee of the Kochi Corporation has drawn ridicule from the Opposition Left Democratic Front (LDF), which questioned the relevance of such a force when Daily Labour Roll (DLR) workers are already engaged in the same work.
The newly constituted 232-member force, complete with a separate uniform, was trained and formally launched on Tuesday (January 27, 2026). Two workers each have been assigned to all 76 divisions.
Mayor V.K. Minimol defended the move, stressing that mosquito eradication was the top priority among the 21 projects announced by the committee as part of its 50-day action plan. She said fogging machines, vehicles, and sprayers that had been lying in disrepair were repaired and made available to the force for the intensive campaign. “A health circle-wise chart for the functioning of the force has been prepared. Councillors concerned should be alerted when the service of the force is available in their respective divisions,” she said.
‘Kept in dark’
LDF leader V.A. Sreejith criticised the initiative, saying that despite being a member of the health standing committee, he was kept in the dark about the launch of such a special force. “When the DLR workers are already engaged in mosquito eradication and old machines are simply being reused after repairs, what is the need for such an inauguration? Isn’t it excessive to rope in the Ernakulam MP to launch a mosquito eradication force?” he asked.
In response, UDF councillor and health standing committee chairperson Henry Austin retorted sarcastically, thanking Mr. Sreejith for admitting that equipment had been in disrepair during the LDF tenure. “When a toilet complex at Subhash Park was inaugurated by Tourism Minister P.A. Mohamed Riyas in the past, the LDF had no objections. So they have little say about us inviting the MP to inaugurate the mosquito eradication force. It is also satisfying to see the LDF finally acknowledging the mosquito menace now that they are out of power,” he said.
Published – January 28, 2026 05:01 pm IST
