Dengue threat looms large each year, no lessons learnt

With around 361 dengue cases reported in the district till Thursday, the situation appears to be worsening. While these are official figures, several cases remain unreported as patients either undergo home treatment or consult private clinics. The recent death of a Class V student from a reputed school due to dengue has again raised questions about the seriousness of the authorities in controlling the menace.

Despite tall claims by the Health Department and Municipal Corporation (MC) regarding awareness drives and preventive measures, residents alleged that the issue was being taken lightly.

“Had the authorities acted strictly and carried out fogging across the city regularly, ensured timely garbage clearance and penalised those responsible for mosquito breeding, numbers would have been far lower,” said Raj Kumar, a resident from Janakpuri.

A supervisor from Zone D, requesting anonymity, said each of the four city zones was equipped with four fogging machines. “Each zone gets 95 litres of diesel and 20 litres of petrol for running the machines and their transportation. Every machine operates for about one hour daily, depending on the area councillor’s requirement,” he said.

However, residents from areas such as Field Ganj, Iqbal Ganj, Janakpuri and Haibowal claim that fogging was not conducted in their localities this season. “I have a shop in Chhoti Haibowal and never seen fogging there. We have to burn mosquito repellents throughout the day to stay safe,” said Sarvan.

Several residents complained that vacant plots have turned into garbage dumping sites, often used by residents and sanitation workers alike. These, they said, had become ideal breeding grounds for mosquitoes.

An MC supervisor, meanwhile, pointed to political interference in operations. “The problem mainly arises in wards where councillors belong to opposition parties. The sitting councillor demands fogging as per their schedule while AAP leaders push for their own priorities. To avoid any conflict, we sometimes claim that the machine is not working,” he admitted.

Vipul Malhotra, who heads the health branch of the MC, said fogging was a continuous process.

“It is being carried out daily. There might be occasional ego clashes between area councillors over priorities but MC teams are regularly performing fogging operations,” he said.