Efficacy of Aphanius dispar (Rüppell) an indigenous larvivorous fish for vector control in domestic tanks under the Sardar Sarovar Narmada project command area in District Kheda, Gujarat.

of dams and network of irrigation canals have received considerable attention in the past and health impact assessments of such projects have also been conducted1, 2. Large-scale construction activities often bring about considerable ecological changes and create new mosquito breeding habitats. Moreover, increased supply of water may bring about an overall behavioural change in the community leading to enhanced water use and storage practices. This may result in enhanced risk of mosquito-borne diseases in the area3, 4. Sardar Sarovar project (SSP) on Narmada river in Gujarat is multipurpose water resources development project, the network of the canal aims to irrigate nearly 1.9 million ha of agricultural land and provide drinking water to nearly 110 cities and towns mainly located in the semi-arid areas of Gujarat and Rajasthan states in western India. As a part of health impact assessment study and need of feasible and sustainable mosquito control measures in this area, feasibility of use of an indigenous larvivorous fish was undertaken in the command area of Kheda district during 2010–11. The efficacy of the common larvivorous fish species, viz. Gambusia affinis and Poecilia reticulata (Guppy) and some local fishes in different mosquito breeding habitats has been well-demonstrated5–8. In Kolar district, Karnataka, a study on the use of larvivorous fishes and its impact on malaria carried out during 1993–99 revealed a sharp reduction in malaria cases and annual parasite index (cases per 1000 population) came down to a very low level in 1999 as compared to the base year 1993 (reduction 99.8%, p <0.001)9. It is well-recognized that the use of larvivorous fish for vector control is a simple, inexpensive and reasonably effective measure and it has been incorporated as a component in the National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme (NVBDCP) and used at large-scale in urban J Vector Borne Dis 50, June 2013, pp. 137–140