Drones to spray disinfectant on roads only, not people: Admin

TNN | Apr 21, 2020, 04:00 IST

A drone was recently outsourced from a Chennai-based aerospace company for sanitizing hoptspots

Varanasi: After the advisory of the ministry of health & family welfare against spraying of disinfectant on people for Covid-19 management, the local administration will use the recently introduced drone for sanitizing only streets and roads.
A drone was recently outsourced from a Chennai-based aerospace company for sanitizing the Covid-19 hotspots in the city. The drone had started spraying disinfectants from Saturday in the hot-spot area of Madanpura, a congested and densely populated locality. Currently the district has six Covid-19 hotspots including Madanpura, Bajardiha, Lohta, Nakkhighat, Gangapur and Pitarkunda. As per the plan, after covering the hotspots the drone will be utilized for sanitizing shelter homes, quarantine centres and isolation wards.
“Drone is being used to spray disinfectant only on streets and roads, not on people,” said district magistrate Kaushal Raj Sharma on Monday. “Besides, the disinfectant tunnel is not for common public but would be used only for medical professionals or exposed government employees,” he said.
According to the advisory, spraying disinfectants on individuals or groups is not recommended under any circumstances. Spraying chemical disinfectants on an individual or group is physically and psychologically harmful. Disinfectants are chemicals that destroy disease causing pathogens or other harmful micro organisms. It refers to substances applied on inanimate objects owing to their strong chemical properties. Chemical disinfectants are recommended for cleaning and disinfection only of frequently touched areas/surfaces by those who are suspected or confirmed to have Covid-19. Precautionary measures are to be adopted while using disinfectants for cleaning – like wearing gloves.
Spraying of chlorine on individuals can lead to irritation of eyes and skin and potentially gastrointestinal effects such as nausea and vomiting. Inhalation of sodium hypochlorite can lead to irritation of mucous membranes of nose, throat, respiratory tract and may also cause bronchospasm.
Besides, the use of such measures may also lead to a false sense of disinfection and safety and hamper public observance to hand washing and social distancing measures.