To control mosquito breeding in the city, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi will launch a special checking and prosecution drive from next week.
The decision was taken after MCD identified mosquito breeding in over 20,000 premises in New Delhi.
Already one person has died and 11 people have been affected by the dengue fever virus till now.
“MCD will launch a special checking and prosecution drive from next week. Persons or institutions will be prosecuted under Delhi Municipal Corporation (Malaria and other Vector Borne Diseases) Bye-laws, 1975, for creating mosquitogenic conditions and failure to take specified preventive measures, if breeding is detected,” K S Mehra, municipal commissioner said.
Mosquito breeding has been found in 23,593 premises which include IIT Campus, NIHFW, JNU Campus, police stations, offices and educational institutions and certain localities like Nithari village, JJ Colony Uttam Nagar, Sadar Bazar Delhi Cantt, Railway Colony Punjabi Bagh, Raj Nagar and Palam areas of Nazafgarh Zone among others.
Despite various measures taken to seek community participation by the local body, breeding has been detected in 23,593 houses for which health department has issued 30,693 legal notices and challan has been issued against 1,466 persons.
Mr. Mehra emphasized that due attention should be paid to work places along with residential areas.
“Delhi is experiencing intermittent rains and as a result breeding sites of Aedes mosquito, have increased manifold. Aedes mosquito transmitting dengue or chikungunya can even breed in a small quantity of water in domestic and peri-domestic settings,” Dr V K Monga, chairman of MCD’s public health committee said.
“Proactive support, of all the citizens is essential. The administrative heads of all government and autonomous bodies’ offices, educational institutions, commercial establishments, market associations as well as citizens should initiate suitable steps to prevent mosquito breeding,” Dr Monga said.
In order to curb mosquito breeding, MCD has advised to check for accumulation of stagnant water in desert coolers, drums, jars, pots, buckets, flower vases, plant, saucers, uncovered overhead tanks, cisterns, bottles, tins, tyres, roof gutters, refrigerator drip pans, cement blocks, bamboo stumps, coconut shells or any other site.
