The Madras High Court on Wednesday directed the Tamil Nadu Health Secretary to hold discussions with civic officials of all cities and towns, through video conference, and come up with a roadmap on steps to be taken to avert the spread of dengue.
Chief Justice Sanjib Banerjee and Justice Senthilkumar Ramamoorthy issued the direction on a public interest litigation petition filed by advocate A.P. Suryaprakasam. The judges directed the Health Secretary to file a detailed report before the court after eight weeks.
Though the petitioner had confined his plea to the Greater Chennai Corporation limits, the judges extended the relief to other cities and towns also where unhygienic conditions were prevailing, leading to the growth of the larvae in stagnant water.
Educating citizens
The court stated that regular attempts must be made to clear such stagnant water and to educate the citizens to cover water collected for future use. It also insisted on regular monitoring by officials, especially in areas vulnerable to dengue outbreaks.
Special attention must be paid to places such as fishing colonies, which were prone to water stagnation, the Bench added.
