Mayor heckled by Jamia residents
Even as the total number of dengue cases in the capital neared the 300-mark on Wednesday, the Opposition and the Delhi government indulged in blame game during a heated discussion in the Delhi Assembly. Meanwhile, Delhi mayor P.R. Sawhney earned the wrath of the residents in Jamia Nagar, where he had gone for an inspection visit as it has turned out to be the worst affected area.
Leader of the Opposition in the Delhi Assembly, Mr V. K. Malhotra, warned that dengue could emerge as the biggest threat to the Games. “The government should declare the outbreak of dengue as an epidemic as 2010 falls in the four-year cycle of dengue spread. It was in 2006 that dengue had struck the capital in a big way and earlier it was 2002. The experts have already cautioned that dengue outbreak will reach its peak with the onset of the winter, which will also be the time when the capital will be hosting the Games,” said Mr Malhotra.
Delhi health minister Kiran Walia, however, accused the MCD of having engaged the domestic breeding checkers (DBCs), which check mosquito breeding, in the work of property tax collection. She further alleged that the MCD has failed to clean the drains, which is aiding the spread of dengue.
However, Speaker Yogananda Shastri directed the minister not to indulge in controversy and instead inform the members about the nature of dengue outbreak.
Mr Walia later told the House that a total of 277 cases of dengue have been reported till Tuesday evening and there has been one death so far.
In Jamia Nagar, Mr Sawhney was heckled by residents who got angry when he told them that a particular drain belonged to the UP government and it was the latter’s responsibility to clean it.
Talking to this newspaper, however, Mr Sawhney said that he has asked the deputy commissioner of the area to get the drain cleaned.
“The number of DBCs and fogging machines have been increased. But the residents often do not allow the DBCs to enter their houses. We have even asked the RWAs to get their employees to check mosquito breeding and we will pay them. We need cooperation from the people,” said Mr Sawhney.
The MCD has already cancelled weekly off of the sanitation employees to check the disease.
On the ground, however, residents of Okhla and Jamia Nagar area are a troubled lot. With stagnant water in drains, on house tops and bylanes, mosquito breeding is unavoidable. In fact, the residents are also facing problems of dengue, malaria, jaundice and gastroenteritis.
Five hospitals in the area working over time with patients pouring in. Holy Family hospital has so far screened over 595 patients for suspected dengue and have admitted 12 patients in ICU who are in a critical condition. Out of these, 135 patients have been sent for the second level of screening for dengue.
In Jeevan Nursing Home, 32 cases have been sent for screening. Jamia Health Centre has sent 18 cases for screening while Bansal Nursing Home and Sujan Mahindra Nursing Home have sent 12 and eight each.
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