Delhi airport using ultraviolet disinfection technology to fight coronavirus

The Delhi airport is using mobile towers, handheld torch and baggage tunnels that deploy ultraviolet (UV) rays to disinfect surfaces in order to combat coronavirus, the DIAL said on Monday.

The mobile towers are placed in properly cordoned areas of a terminal and the UV lamps inside them are used for disinfection, the Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) said in a statement.

Once an area has been disinfected, the UV power is switched off and the towers are manually re-located to other areas for a similar process, the DIAL noted.

Handheld disinfection torch is also being used to disinfect desktop, laptops and other devices, it said.

"These are germicidal lamps that produce ultraviolet light. This short-wave ultraviolet light...leads to the inactivation of bacteria, viruses and protozoa," it noted.

The DIAL has also installed UV tunnels at Terminal 3 of the Delhi airport to disinfect passengers' luggage.

"A live CCTV feed of UV scanning process mounted at baggage reclaim hall allows the passengers to see the disinfection process, in which high-intensity UV lamps are being used for on-line disinfection of their bags," it said.

As shoes can also be a potential carrier of coronavirus, shoe sanitiser mats have been placed at strategic places, the DIAL stated.

"These mats are soaked with chemical that will disinfect the shoes of the passengers," it said.

Sensor-based taps in passenger washrooms, foot-operated sanitiser dispenser, sensor-based and paddle operated drinking water fountain have been installed for contactless usage, the DIAL said.

India has been under lockdown since March 25 to stem the spread of coronavirus, which has so far infected more than 67,000 people and killed over 2,000 in the country.

All commercial passenger flight operations have been suspended for the lockdown period. However, cargo flights, medical evacuation flights and special flights approved by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation have been allowed to operate.