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Here's effective cover against mosquitoes
At a time when the corporation is fighting against the menace of mosquitoes, there's good news on the home front.
Updated : Jan 05, 2024, 03:25 PM IST
 "Sisters Kasturi (left) and Shreya Poddar who teamed up on the blanket project")
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At a time when the corporation is fighting against the menace of mosquitoes, there's good news on the home front.
Two city girls have come up with an idea of a blanket that repels these dangerous, long-legged pests.
There nothing unusual in the blanket itself. As you won't recognise anything special simply by looking at it.
The cozy cover is treated with a repellant formulation, which when inhaled by the insects affects their nervous system, keeping them away.
The blankets have been certified by laboratories as a safe way to keep mosquitoes away.
The idea occurred to young Kasturi Poddar while she was studying textile design in London. "During the course of my research I learned that clothes of US army personnel are treated with a special formulation – Permethrin – that affects mosquitoes and significantly reduces their ability to bite," says the 25-year-old resident of Prabhadevi.
Kasturi talked about this with her elder sister Shreya and they came up with the idea of replicating this process with blankets.
"For the past three years, Mumbai has been in the news for the number of malaria and dengue cases. We got in touch with the international supplier of Permethrin and have the blankets made in India," she said.
A year of hard work, chemical tests and trials and their dream has come through. The product has received ISO certification as being free of skin allergy.
Besides being used to reinforce clothing and bed linen in dengue and malaria affected areas, Permethrin is also used as a pesticide in agriculture, though its use is controversial as it is said to kill indiscriminately. It is also available as a cream and a lotion.
The Poddar sisters have made two sizes of blankets, one regular for adults and the other for toddlers.
"For children you can't apply mosquito-repellent cream. Plug-ins and coils have side-effects. Patches and wristbands work for a limited time. Insect-repellent creams are an inconvenience. The blankets are, therefore, safer," Kasturi said.
The repellent is odourless and also long-lasting. The blankets are effective for up to 50 washes.
