GOVERNMENT has completed ground-spraying of 1 100 square kilometres of tsetse-infested land in the Mola area of Omay, Kariba district, to enable people to safely settle and conduct their farming activities.

Acting principal director, Livestock and Veterinary Services, Mr William Shereni yesterday said the exercise successfully ran from July to October last year.

"The exercise yielded very positive results, as we have not received any reports of the tsetse flies so far," said Mr Shereni.

"We were using a very safe chemical called deltamethrin that is applied as residual deposits on tsetse resting surfaces and refuge sites that include the undersides of horizontal tree branches and other physical features."

The ground spraying exercise is targeted to cover such areas as Omay, Kanyati, Sengwa River Basin, Ruenya River in Mudzi, Hurungwe, Mana Pools, Kanyemba and Doma.

He said his department was closely monitoring developments in the area in the wake of the ground spraying exercise and expected more similar programmes to be done this year.

Dry season spraying programmes normally run from July to October every year.

Anti-tsetse ground spraying operations in the past have been based on the application of the pesticide pyrethroid, which is applied to tsetse resting and refuge sites.