Dengue cases cross 1,000 in Delhi
The dengue menace showed no signs of abating in the national capital where the number of cases crossed 1,000 on Wednesday with 77 more patients testing positive for the vector-borne disease.
In 2009, the number of dengue cases crossed 1,000 only in the month of November. Of the 1,014 cases so far, 993 have been reported from MCD areas, 115 from NDMC areas and the rest from other parts of the city besides some outstation cases.
The highest number of 167 cases have come from MCD South Zone followed by Central Zone (151) and Rohini (112). Mayor Prithvi Raj Sawhney has sought people's cooperation in tackling the situation, lamenting that reports have emerged of residents not allowing mosquito breeding checkers to enter their houses.
"MCD workers are on the job. They are undertaking special checking at Games stadia too. We will control the situation. Commonwealth Games construction work is one of the main reasons for rise in dengue cases this year, coupled with the fact that it follows a cyclic pattern. The last time it reached a peak was in 2006," the mayor said.
He has also appealed to MCD mosquito breeding checkers, who are threatening to go on strike from September 6 demanding regularisation of jobs, to refrain from ceasework.
"They can approach us after the Games and we will resolve their problems," Sawhney said. According to statistics released by the MCD, the number of cases till this time in 2009 was only four.
The figure was 75 and 21 in the same periods in 2008 and 2007 respectively. Authorities are more worried about the spread of dengue as the city will host the Games in October, a month that generally sees high prevalence of the disease.
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