his week, the Capital has seen a decline in dengue cases so far, with 504 new infections being reported between Sunday and Wednesday, as opposed to 2,191 that were recorded in the previous week.
Though the data released by the municipalities pertains to four days, officials say it points towards a decrease when compared with last week. The data also confirmed that 25 people had died of the vector-borne disease this year as of Wednesday, up from 17 reported last week.
A total of 5,138 Delhiites have contracted dengue this year, though the total number of cases in the Capital, including patients who got infected in neighbouring States, is 6,486.
The North Delhi Municipal Corporation, which has registered 2,642 cases, has been trying to control the spread through its fumigation drive, said officials.
“We can’t claim that the dengue is on a decline, but our efforts will pay off. Usually, October sees the highest number of cases, but this year, it could be September since the rain has stopped earlier,” said a senior Health Department official.
The South Delhi Municipal Corporation, East Delhi Municipal Corporation, and the New Delhi Municipal Council have seen 2,074, 1,034 and 139 cases of dengue respectively this year.
A spurt in the cases this year forced authorities into action with fumigation drives, mosquito breeding checks, and setting up of fever clinics. Last year, the total number of dengue cases was just 98.
Meanwhile, the civic bodies have continued their crackdown on property owners, who have allowed mosquitoes to breed on their premises.
The NDMC, for instance, issued a notice to Sanskriti School on Wednesday for mosquito breeding found at two spots on its premises. A Class X student of the Chanakyapuri-based school had died of dengue earlier this week.
“When our team reached there, they found mosquito breeding at two locations, including at the containers kept at the main gate,” said a senior health official of the NDMC.
The NDMC has ramped up fumigation to control the population of adult mosquitoes. Another health official said, “The cases have seen a decline this week, but fogging isn’t that effective. We have cracked down on breeding, and the less rain is leading to a fall in cases.”
