New Delhi: Amid a spike in dengue cases, the three civic bodies here have intensified their fogging and spraying drives, even as officials claimed that there was "enough stock" of insecticides and medicines to combat the vector-borne diseases. The national Capital has seen a surge in dengue cases in the last two weeks, with the first death due to it was reported on Monday.
According to a civic report on vector-borne diseases released on Monday, one death due to dengue, and a total of 723 dengue cases have been recorded this season till October 16, which is highest case count since 2018 for the same period.
Of the total count of dengue cases recorded in Delhi this year, 382 have been reported this month till October 16, which amount to nearly 52 per cent of the cumulative cases.
All three municipal corporation, NDMC, SDMC and EDMC, have intensified their campaign to tackle rising cases of dengue in the city.
East Delhi Mayor Shyam Sunder Aggrawal on Friday held a meeting with senior officials of the public health department regarding the dengue situation, officials said.
The mayor ordered deployment of three jetting machines each in both the zones of the EDMC, from the DEMS (department of environment management services) for spraying anti-larval medicine in drains and over stagnated water in the area.
Considering the gravity of the situation, there is a need to make maximum use of the available resources, he said.
The East Delhi Municipal Corporation on Thursday had said it had suspended all surgeries except those for deliveries at its Swami Dayanand Hospital due to the rising number of dengue patients at the facility.
Aggrawal said there is continuous fogging in the area but there is also rise in cases of dengue which is why he has directed teams to spray larvicides in drains, and increase the frequency of fogging, adding that senior officers should ensure availability of medicines for fogging and spraying as well.
Chairman of the Standing Committee of the North Delhi Municipal Corporation, Jogi Ram Jain said, "we are stocked up well in all six zones".
"Only the central store at the Civic Centre had zero stock of medicines (insecticides) as reported yesterday. Other stores in zones are stocked up for at least 2-3 weeks, and we will procure more as the need arises" he claimed. Jain said the NDMC stores have enough stock of insecticides used for fogging or spraying purposes, as well as medicines used for treatment of patients suffering from malaria or other generic ailments.