New Delhi Municipal Council finds deadly mosquitoes in areas like Prez estate and hospitals 3,292 notices issued to residents and office- bearers for breeding. Either Aedes mosquitoes have developed a liking for high- profile areas or the city’s VIPs are not doing enough to stem the spread of dengue. Nothing else can explain the shocking revelations made by New Delhi Municipal Council ( NDMC) in its inspection of the properties in the New Delhi region.
NDMC officials have found as many as 15 quarters in the President’s Estate that have conditions conducive to the breeding of dengue- carrying mosquitoes. This is besides the several spots on Parliament campus where the deadly mosquitoes have found a new home.
According to the NDMC officials, the two posh premises are just the tip of the iceberg.
Several other important centres in Central Delhi such as the Reserve Bank of India building, Lady Hardinge Medical College, Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, Shastri Bhawan and Indira Gandhi National Centre for Arts among others have been slapped with challans for having conditions favourable for breeding of dengue mosquitoes.
“A number of spots on the campus of Parliament have been found conducive to the breeding dengue mosquitoes. The otherwise clean and manicured President’s Estate is also not immune to the breeding of deadly larvae.
A total of 15 quarters of type- 4 category in the President’s Estate were detected positive for dengue. We have issued notices to all 15 occupants,” said P. K. Sharma, director and medical superintendent, NDMC.
Penalties imposed
So far, 19 cases of dengue have been reported from the New Delhi region this year as compared to just one case last year.
According to the civic agencies, at least 30 new cases of dengue are being reported every day.
Municipal authorities in north and south Delhi have, in fact, penalised several government premises, including DDA, PWD, DESU, CPWD, BSES and prominent educational establishments, for allowing conditions conducive to the breeding of dengue- carrying mosquitoes.
“It is preposterous to know that despite the dengue scare in the city, government officials who are expected to take measures to curb the spread of the vector- borne disease are themselves behaving in an irresponsible manner,” Sharma added.
The NDMC has already issued 236 challans and sent approximately 3,292 notices to various office bearers and residents in the New Delhi region. The number of challans issued this year is five times more than 2012 when only 42 such challans were issued. The number of notices served last year was 1,012, one- third of the number served this year.
Extensive drive
“We are carrying out regular fogging excursions and inspections in our region and also organising awareness drives, students’ rallies and poster campaigns to ensure that people take this issue seriously and help us combat the menace,” Sharma concluded.
The Delhi High Court, on Friday, directed both the government and the civic bodies to take decisive measures to control the situation. From cleanliness to fumigation to making hospitals equipped with dengueprevention facilities and rapid kits, the court directed the authorities to implement all these measures across the city.
According to the latest MCD report, 912 cases of dengue have been reported from areas under south, north and east municipal corporations.
Across the city, including areas under MCD, NDMC and Delhi cantonment, at least 1,354 patients have tested positive between September 1 and 11.
The sharp rise in the number of cases in the city has added to the woes of government hospitals, which are already facing a shortage of beds and kits.
Lok Nayak Hospital, which has a total of 100 beds in its dengue ward, has been attending to over 150 patients every day, said a source.
Alarming rate
The authorities at AIIMS confirmed that they have 200 beds in the emergency ward, still they have to refer around 120 dengue patients to other hospitals on a daily basis as the number of patients has risen beyond their capacity. Ganga Ram Hospital has reported 128 confirmed dengue cases in the past three months. Besides, 225 have tested positive at the OPD in the same period.
Dr Rajpal, medical superintendent, GTB Hospital, said the hospital is seeing 25 to 30 new dengue cases every day. Deen Dayal Upadhayay Hospital has added 30 beds to accommodate more dengue patients.
The spread of dengue this year is alarming as the municipal authorities had recorded only 19 cases in 2012 and 131 in 2011. 2010 had been a difficult year when as many as 1,933 cases were reported from the city. At least 30 cases of dengue being reported every day.
