Ramping up AC temp, switching off air curtains may have helped mosquitoes thrive at city airport
Times of India | 1 March 2025
12 Kolkata: For weeks, passengers and staff at Kolkata airport were dealing with a mosquito nuisance in the terminal. Despite deploying exterminators, the pesky insects continued to thrive, leading to growing frustration and concern among airport officials. The problem may now be solved with the airport authority planning better monitoring of measures in place to keep the pests out.
Airport officials had launched an investigation to detect how mosquitoes were making their way into a space designed to be pest-free. After all, multiple control mechanisms were in place, including regular pest control, air curtains at the doors to prevent insects from entering the terminal, and maintaining the temperature within the terminal at 22°C to ensure it wasn't ideal for pests to thrive.
Suspecting gaps in maintenance protocols or poor pest control, the airport director himself joined the probe and dug deep into the terminal's operation.
The breakthrough came during a routine inspection when he found that the air curtains installed at the entry points to the terminal and bus departure gates were switched off. These high-powered blowers create a continuous stream of air that acts as an invisible barrier or curtain to keep flies, mosquitoes, and other insects out.
"To our surprise, we found that these air curtains were turned off at multiple gates. CISF personnel stationed at these locations switched them off as they were feeling uncomfortable due to the constant flow of cold air," said airport director Pravat Ranjan Beuria.
Compounding the issue was the indoor temperature regulation. "Staff members on duty were adjusting the settings to make the terminal warmer, inadvertently creating a more conducive environment for mosquito proliferation," Beuria added.
TOI wrote on February 22 how passengers were complaining about mosquito bites in lounges, check-in areas, and waiting zones. Flyers were tagging airlines, airport authorities, and the civil aviation minister, asking them to take immediate action against pest infestation. Flyers like Avantika Verma shared a photograph of herself covering with a shawl to protect from mosquito bites while waiting at the security hold area. "Kolkata airport is so full of mosquitoes I had to do this," she wrote on X.
Following the slew of complaints, the airport director launched an investigation to find out how the mosquitoes were making their way inside.
With the findings in hand, Kolkata airport authorities have now reinforced policies regarding air curtain usage and temperature control. Security personnel have been instructed to keep the air curtains operational while stricter monitoring of temperature regulation has been implemented.
"The goal is to restore the airport's pest-free environment while ensuring both comfort and operational efficiency. Passengers can now expect a more controlled indoor climate and, hopefully, a mosquito-free experience at the terminal," said an official.
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