War against dengue: Kejriwal asks people to check mosquito breeding

New Delhi, September 15 

Intensifying Delhi Government's '10 Hafte 10 Baje 10 Minute' campaign, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and his Cabinet colleagues on Sunday visited some parts of the city, urging people to check mosquito breeding in their surroundings. 

After a visit to West Delhi's Tri Nagar area, Kejriwal claimed that data showed the campaign was "successful" so far and cases of dengue were on the decline. 

Under the campaign launched on September 1, people are expected to devote 10 minutes at 10 AM every Sunday for draining stagnant water that could lead to breeding of mosquitoes. The campaign will conclude in mid November. 

"I am very happy that this campaign has been successful so far and dengue has been controlled for the time being. There were many cases of dengue 3-4 years ago. As per cycle of the disease it was expected to recur on big scale this year but data show dengue has significantly declined in Delhi," said Kejriwal. 

The dengue mosquito has a range of 200 metres so if people check their houses and encourage their neighbours to do it, Delhi will be saved from the disease, he said in Tri Nagar. 

Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia also inspected his house and visited his constituency to ask people to follow the suit. Health Minister Satyendar Jain visited Paschim Vihar area of his constituency Shakurbasti to spread awareness. 

The Delhi Government is planning to partner with over 3,000 RWAs across the Capital as part of the campaign for more intensive inspections in residential areas of the city. 

The number of dengue cases recorded till September 7 stood at 122, with 30 of these reported in the current month and 52 in August. Last year, 2,798 dengue cases and four deaths were recorded by the South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC), which tabulates the data on vector-borne diseases in the city. 

Both the Delhi Government and the local bodies have been making efforts to raise awareness among the people on precautions to ensure that there is no breeding of mosquito larvae in and around their houses. — PTI

AAP MLAs tour colonies

Several AAP MLAs toured residential colonies in their assemblies here on Sunday to spread awareness about dengue. The MLAs urged residents to participate in the campaign, launched by the CM, and save the city from dengue outbreak. More than 200 events were held across the city by MLAs, councillors and party leaders, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) said in a statement.