Deadly mosquitoes: Tajpur Pahadi among worst-affected areas

NEW DELHI: Southwest Delhi’s Tajpur Pahadi — lined with cramped houses that have two-level basements filled with knee-deep stagnant water — is among the areas worst

NEW DELHI: Southwest Delhi’s Tajpur Pahadi — lined with cramped houses that have two-level basements filled with knee-deep stagnant water — is among the areas worst affected by dengue and chikungunya.

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Residents say three people died in the past two months from suspected dengue. Several others are suffering from high fever, they say. The municipal corporation has not confirmed them as dengue deaths.

Tajpur Pahadi, on the fringes of Badarpur mine, has several active aquifers. When groundwater is released, it gets accumulated in the basements.

“During monsoons there is excessive release of groundwater ... This floods the basements and triggers mosquito breeding,” says resident Shaheen Khan.

Domestic breeding checkers (DBCs) and health inspectors visited Tajpur Pahadi on Tuesday to check the basements. “Massive illegal construction in area is among the factors responsible for water-logging ... They dug up the ground mindlessly, despite knowing that it is a low lying area,” said the area health inspector, requesting anonymity.

Tajpur Pahadi was one of the areas where the civic agency carried out awareness programme before the start of the breeding season. But there has been no effect.

“These people say they do not have money to cement their basements. They have money to build two to three levels of basements, but when they are asked to close it they crib about poverty,” he said.

However, residents accuse the corporations of not having desilted the area properly. “The drains are overflowing into our houses and situation gets worse during rains. The corporation has not initiated desilting, despite our repeated requests,” said Lalita Devi.