Delhi’s East Kidwai Nagar facing local dengue outbreak, 40 cases reported in 3 weeks

Delhi confirmed 177 cases in the week ending October 19, the highest in a single week this year, taking the total number of cases to 644. There have been no dengue deaths in 2019.

Across the road from India’s best and busiest hospital, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), the Central government housing complex in East Kidwai Nagar is battling with a local dengue outbreak, reporting at least 40 cases over the past three weeks. One building has reported 15 cases in the sprawling 86-acre quarter-complex, parts of which are still under construction.

Residents of East Kidwai Nagar say the ongoing construction may be responsible for creating breeding grounds for mosquitoes. (HT Photo)

Delhi confirmed 177 cases in the week ending October 19, the highest in a single week this year, taking the total number of cases to 644. There have been no dengue deaths in 2019. This is much lower than the 1,020 cases reported in 2018, and 2,884 in 2017 by the third week of October.

East Kidwai Nagar resident Saba Mazhar was diagnosed with dengue in the first week of October. “The fever has gone but I still feel weak,” said Mazhar. Two people in a family of three in the apartment next door were also diagnosed with dengue two weeks ago.

Mazhar moved into the type 5 quarters allotted to her in March this year and has been fighting a mosquito menace since. “There has always been a mosquito problem here. Even after keeping all the doors and windows closed it becomes difficult for me to stand in one place in the kitchen and cook. The mosquito population went up after the rains in August,” she said.

Another three people in a family of four in the same building also suffered from dengue this month. “My platelet count is low. The doctors have admitted me for observation. I am being given saline regularly. My wife and son are better off as they did not need admission. They are recuperating at home,” said a resident of the same building, who did not want to be named.

“There are 36 families living in our building right now. So far, 15 people have been diagnosed with dengue. It could be because of water collection in the building under construction near us,” he said.

In the building next door, Sunita Boora was diagnosed with dengue two days ago. “It has just been three months since I moved here and I have read about dengue only in the papers so far. This is the first time I got it. One night, I got a very high fever, about 103 degrees, and it did not subside even after taking paracetamol. I had to call a doctor in the middle of the night and he prescribed me some other medicine, I had to put ice packs on my forehead before the fever went down,” she said.

Of the 4,000 housing quarters planned under the East Kidwai Nagar Redevelopment Project, about 2,000 are still under construction and the residents think is the reason for waterlogging. Apart from that, the basement parking in the complex had water seepage and collection.

Type 6 quarters, where most of the construction is complete has also reported dengue cases. “Ten cases have been reported among the 200 families living in type 6 quarters. I cannot say what is the cause, but an association can be made with so many buildings under construction. There is also construction material kept everywhere where water might have stagnated,” said SK Varshney, a resident of type 6 quarters.

Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal launched a massive campaign on September 1 – ‘10 Hafte 10 Baje 10 Minute’ under which Delhi residents are urged to check for mosquito breeding and clean out vessels containing stagnant water every week on Sunday to disrupt the life-cycle and prevent the breeding of Aedes Aegypti mosquitoes.

“This year, the numbers started going up only in mid-September. Usually, cases start coming in July and there is an increase in August. Not only are the cases coming in late, there are fewer patients as compared to previous years. But it is not to say that there has been an 80% reduction or anything. We are still receiving a good number of cases,” said Srikant Sharma, senior consultant of internal medicine at Moolchan Medicity.

He has been receiving dengue patients from East Kidwai Nagar, Lajpat Nagar, and Defence Colony.

“Not just East Kidwai Nagar, domestic breeding checkers have been going door to door regularly to check for breeding. Fogging is also done in areas from where cases are reported,” said Dr Ramesh Kumar, medical officer, New Delhi Municipal Council, which is responsible for the upkeep of the area.