Gurugam citizens seek Chief Minister's intervention after dengue outbreak

With over seven cases of Dengue already being reported, the residents in Gurugram are now complaining directly to Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar over unclean drains and poor cleanliness levels in the city.

Residents from the areas of Sector 52, Sector 57, Sector 17 and older parts are registering their complaints either in the Chief Minister window or in the social media forums.

Not only are the residents registering their complaint to the Chief Minister but a garbage dump near a school in Old Gurugram forced the citizens to complain the matter at Prime Minister Office (PMO).

Using the context of the early arrival of vector-borne diseases like dengue, residents alleged that they are forced to complain to higher authorities as there is no action taken by local authorities at the ground level.

On May 15, a group of residents used the forum of social media to inform the Chief Minister of the poor conditions at Sector 52 area. The residents highlighted that there has been no improvement even after complaining to Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG).

Providing the picture of the area, the residents complained to the Chief Minister of how the area provided a breeding ground for Dengue.

Even after the Chief Minister replied assuring the residents that requisite measures will be taken, the residents again took to the social media two days later citing no action by authorities.

On May 17, the residents wrote, "Sir, just to update you, no action was taken so far. The place is stinking. This is situated at the main road and acting as a Dengue incubation ground."

"Due to these reasons, Sector 52 and 57 was worst affected by Dengue last year. Request your immediate attention to save people from it," added the residents.

"It is extremely unfortunate even after repeated complaints to the local authorities, there is just no action that is been initiated by them. At the end, we are using the mediums of communication to register our complaints to the Chief Minister and other higher authorities in power. As of now, we have not received any responses from the Chief Minister," said Jagdev Sharma, Resident of Sector 56.

"It is unfair to say that the local bodies are not performing their duties. We have had series of meetings where we are devising strategies to deal with the issue of vector-borne diseases effectively. We have started the process of cleaning drains and various unclean areas. Meanwhile, in such cases, the citizens must also take responsibility and ensure that vacant areas around them are not converted into dumping grounds," said a Senior MCG official.