Delhi HC pulls up civic officials over rising dengue cases

The bench pulled up the authorities, especially the civic bodies, for their alleged inefficiency in controlling the dengue menace and said there was no preparedness on their part to tackle the annual outbreak

The Delhi high court on Wednesday took strong exception to the rising cases of dengue in the city, and said “policies are being made in a populous way” and elections are being fought only on freebies. The real issues, a bench of justices Vipin Sanghi and Jasmeet Singh said, are lost in the process.

The court was hearing a plea by the South Delhi Municipal Corporation against the Delhi government’s decision to seek retrospective recovery of grants-in-aid from municipal bodies. (Picture for representation only)

It pulled up the authorities, especially the civic bodies, for their alleged inefficiency in controlling the dengue menace and said there was no preparedness on their part to tackle the annual outbreak.

“Today you have become so populous in your approach; that people will get offended and you won’t get votes. Everything is driven by that one consideration. Administrators are not administering properly. Policies are being made in a populous way. If only elections were fought and one is lost on these (vector borne diseases) issues — the real issues — we would have a different city. But it doesn’t work that way,” the court said.

It further said there was a “complete paralysis in the administration” and “nobody is bothered or accountable” for the current situation with regards to dengue.

“If it happens, it happens. It will come and go. People will die. We have such a large number of population…doesn’t matter. That’s the attitude,” an angry court said.

It further said, “You have to have a vision. You know this is going to happen. You have to plan. You have to be prepared. The work of the administration is such. On the ground, the situation has doubled. How does the measure (taken by the civic bodies in controlling dengue) help because the (case) numbers have doubled. If the number doubles, then all of this is meaningless.”

The court was hearing a plea by the South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) against the Delhi government’s decision to seek retrospective recovery of grants-in-aid from municipal bodies.

The court appointed a Central government officer as amicus curiae to assist it in the issue of vector borne diseases, including dengue, malaria, and chikungunya, and sent the case before the chief justice which is hearing another suo motu petition on the mosquito infestation in Delhi.

During the proceedings, when the civic body counsel said there was heavy rainfall in October, leading to a rise in dengue cases. To this, the court replied, “If the rainfall has increased, the manpower and machines must be increased. When you saw rain in October, it must have struck you? Why didn’t you take an expert view?”

“Please understand that the number of people who have been caught with dengue and the number of fatalities this year is unprecedented. It is not like Covid-19, which is happening for the first time. How is it that despite having science and technology, and machines and manpower, this problem cannot be addressed? Since 2013, there have been orders passed by this court, yet it (dengue situation) is not under control,” the bench said.

The bench questioned the East Delhi Municipal Corporation (EDMC) about the drains left open in its area. “When are you going to cover your drains? It is so difficult to even go to that area as the stench is unbearable,” it said.

“Either we put our hands up and say nothing can be done. What has to happen will happen and leave people to fend for themselves. But if anything has to be done, it has to be done in a proper manner,” the bench said.

The civic body counsel submitted that several residents’ welfare associations (RWA) were not cooperating with the authorities when teams went there on fogging drives to control mosquito breeding. He urged the court to pass directions for restraining RWAs from stopping MCD officials and increase the fine amount, for mosquito breeding on premises, from ₹500 to ₹10,000, which will be a deterrent.

Agreeing with the counsel, the court said people do not listen unless there is deterrence, but it was not the court’s job to increase the fine amount.

“You would be failing in your duty if the numbers do not go down. We would be failing in our duty if we do not do anything,” it said.

During the hearing, when senior advocate Rahul Mehra, representing the Delhi government, expressed reservations about appointment the Central government officer, who is an expert in this field, as amicus curiae, the bench said, “Why to politicise mosquito breeding?”.