Photo/Illutration An agrochemical sprayer developed by Maruyama Mfg. Co. sprinkles antiseptic over the street. (From the Twitter account of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal)

India is employing a Japanese-made agricultural chemical sprayer to fight its coronavirus outbreak, using it to disinfect entire streets at a time in hot spot areas.

The farm machine, originally designed to spray pesticides over rice paddies and fields, is produced by agricultural equipment maker Maruyama Mfg. Co. in Tokyo’s Chiyoda Ward.

“Hi-tech Japanese machines have been deployed,” Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal tweeted, stressing that the equipment is safe.

The Delhi government said it has put 70 agrochemical sprayers to work, sterilizing roads and buildings in areas where many coronavirus infections have been reported. Ten of the machines were made by Maruyama Mfg.

The spraying machine has arms that extend up to 15.9 meters so that a wide area can be covered all at once. The arms can also fold and retract to disinfect small spaces, allowing the sprayer to operate on narrow streets between buildings in Delhi. Its specially designed nozzle ensures an even spray.

The deployment of the Japan-made technology has drawn attention on social media. One person wrote that they want to see the “high-tech equipment from Japan to be sent to the region I live in.”

Takayuki Imaizumi, the head of personnel and general affairs division, said the company started out making fire extinguishers when it was created in 1895 during the Meiji Era (1868-1912). It produced the Maruyama-style automatic extinguisher, known for its quality.

Imaizumi said it was a natural move for the extinguisher manufacturer to get into producing farm sprayers.

“The basic mechanism used for the agrochemical sprayer is the same as that of extinguishers,” he said. “Liquid and material in the container are compressed and then jetted out.”

Its innovative products have earned it customers in 80 or so countries around the world. One such innovation is a machine that automatically adjusts the amount of chemicals sprayed depending on its speed. The company has also mounted a sprayer on an agricultural drone.

India is not the only country using farm tools to combat the spreading virus. After China started using farm spraying equipment as sterilizers, Maruyama Mfg. started receiving inquiries from the United States as well.

The company also plans to soon put its latest invention on sale: It recently completed a prototype device that sprays antiseptic on protective suits to disinfect them.

“It is our greatest pleasure as a manufacturer to pitch products required in the era of the crisis to the market, contributing to society,” Imaizumi said.

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