Having spotted mosquito breeding sites in over 200 buildings in the national Capital much ahead of the dengue season, the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) is planning to approach embassies with request to provide access to its staff for inspecting their premises.
The precautionary measure has been taken as the civic body had last year found heavy mosquito breeding in at least 12 embassies, including those of Ghana, Singapore, Malaysia, Ethiopia and the Czech Republic.
The council staff inspects all buildings in NDMC areas every year to check mosquito-breeding. Notices are issued in the first phase and the defaulters are asked to reply within a week about the measures taken by them to check the menace. However, if breeding is still found on their premises in the second phase, the NDMC fines the violators.
As foreign diplomatic missions are not bound by law to allow officials to check mosquito breeding, the NDMC does not have the authority to issue a challan or slap a notice against them. It can only help them with remedial measures.
“We do not have the authority to issue a challan or send a notice to the embassies. But once we detect such conditions, we send our staff there to take all remedial measures, including fumigation and destruction of larvae,” a senior NDMC official said.
“Much ahead of the dengue season, we have already detected breeding in over 200 buildings in Delhi so far. So, as a precautionary measure, we have decided to approach embassies to allow access to our squads to check their premises and find out if there are conditions that help mosquito breeding,” he added.
NDMC areas are home to the high and mighty of the country, including Union Ministers and parliamentarians, besides offices of all ministries, Supreme Court, High Court and residences of Supreme Court judges, senior bureaucrats and senior military officers.
The diplomatic complex in Chanakypuri houses over 60 diplomatic missions, chanceries and residences of ambassadors.
The civic body has issued notices to 225 prominent buildings in NDMC areas, including RML Hospital, Paryavaran Bhawan, Meghdoot Bhawan, Sanchar Bhawan, Baroda House, Kashmir House and Shivaji Stadium, after mosquito breeding was found on their premises.
Last year, the NDMC had issued over 125 notices to the President’s Estate after “heavy” mosquito-breeding was found at various places on the sprawling campus. However, the officials say the situation has improved this year.
After repeated notices were sent to the Rashtrapati Bhawan, a four-member team was formed to work closely for taking precautionary measures and the situation has largely improved. No breeding has been detected so far,” the official said.
According to a municipal report, at least seven cases of dengue have been reported in the Capital this year, with five in the first 10 days of April.
Last year, the city saw a staggering 15,867 dengue cases – the worst in 20 years. The disease claimed 60 lives.