NGO files PIL for monitoring dengue cases in city

A city-based NGO has approached the Bombay high court seeking directions to the state government and civic body to undertake safety and preventive measures in view of the increasing cases of dengue across the state and the recent death of filmmaker Yash Chopra due to dengue and multi-organ failure.

A city-based NGO has approached the Bombay high court seeking directions to the state government and civic body to undertake safety and preventive measures in view of the increasing cases of dengue across the state and the recent death of filmmaker Yash Chopra due to dengue and multi-organ failure.

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Petitioner 'Help Mumbai Foundation' in its PIL against the Union ministry of health, Maharashtra government's department of health and BrihanMumbai municipal commissioner has sought for a special committee to be set up to address this issue.

The petition has also sought the creation of an Inter-Agency Dengue Task Force (IADTF) comprising government agencies, private associations and medical professionals.

Petitioners have urged that the secretary of the State's health department should head the IADTF which would monitor and lead other government agencies to enhance their mosquito control programme.

Stating that the BMC does not carry out regular Intensive Source Reduction Exercises (ISREs) in normal circumstances, the petition says that 725 cases of dengue have been reported by BMC in 2012. The petition also claims that the BMC started taking preventive measures only after Chopra’s death.

The petition will come up for hearing in due course.