Delhi: Civic bodies wake up, ramp up efforts to fight dengue

After facing flak for its inaction amid a dengue outbreak, the civic agencies came up with a slew of measures, including dropping its selective fumigation policy, to combat the deadly infection.

After facing flak for its inaction amid a dengue outbreak, the civic agencies came up with a slew of measures, including dropping its selective fumigation policy, to combat the deadly infection.

An Indian Municipal Corporation sanitation worker fumigates an area as part of the anti-dengue fumigation drive to curb breeding sites for mosquitoes causing dengue outbreak in New Delhi. (EPA Photo)

“The corporations have deployed 1,500 people to check at the household level. Instructions have been issued to intensify fumigation irrespective of whether an area has reported dengue cases or not,” said a high ranking official.

“We have added 100 fogging machines, hired 700 more employees. All senior leaders have been instructed to survey their areas,” said Subhash Arya, south Delhi mayor. Senior corporation officials said leaves of all field officers were also cancelled.

Mayor Ravinder Gupta of north Delhi — which is the worst affected area with more than half the cases being reported from here — ordered that households where mosquitoes were found breeding would be fined.

But the opposition in the corporation ridiculed the latest measures as being a ‘delayed effort to save face’. “It is essential to intensify anti-dengue measures,” said Farhad Suri, leader of opposition, south corporation.

CM meets AAP MLAs

CM Arvind Kejriwal met AAP MLAs at his residence on Friday, asking them to keep a check on the availability of medicines and testing kits in the pharmacies. He also asked them to look out for empty spaces in hospitals where extra beds could be accommodated.