Road-digging, debris may aid the spread of dengue
The Municipal Corporation of Delhi seems to be in a fix over how to control the spread of dengue. With digging on roads continuing and construction debris still lying on the roads, municipal officials say it will be tough to control the spread of the disease if the situation did not change.
The Delhi government had earlier given two deadlines — July 31 for stopping of all road-cutting and digging and August 10 for removal of all construction debris — to make the city clean and look “prepared”. However, with one deadline having already been crossed and the other set to, the municipal officials are worried how the spread of the disease should be checked. “The water gets filled up in pits and leads to breeding of mosquitoes,” said an official.
The issue was also raised in the MCD standing committee meeting on Monday where the councillors alleged that the domestic breeding checkers (DBCs) were not properly behaved. However, a senior MCD official told the committee that adequate arrangements had been made to keep the disease under checks.
What has raised the hackles of the municipal health officials is that, this year, the spread of the disease was likely to be much higher than what it was in the last couple of years. The disease follows a cyclical trend of getting severe after every three to four years. On the other hand, the construction work in connection with the Commonwealth Games-2010 preparations is still continuing and is likely to be completed only in September.
Meanwhile, Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit has reportedly asked the officials to ensure that all the construction work gets completed by August 31, senior government officials have already indicated that a few projects would extend beyond that dateline. Delhi urban development minister Dr A.K. Walia refused to comment on the issue.
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