Dengue control workers go on strike

Amid a rise in dengue cases in Delhi, scores of city municipal workers, who are at the forefront of the fight against vector-borne diseases, began their indefinite strike on Monday.

Authorities at the Municipal Corporation of Delhi have been appealing to these workers to reconsider their decision in view of the spike in dengue cases in the last few weeks.

The strike by DBC (dengue breeding checking) workers is taking place under the banner of Anti-Malaria Ekta Karmachari Union, on a day the MCD House is set to convene for a meeting.

“We had recently served the notice to the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) via its mayor and commissioner, saying that our members will go on an indefinite strike from July 31, if our long-pending demands are not met before that. Since, our demands have not been met, we have gone on strike,” the Union’s president, Devanand Sharma, said.

He said a discussion is currently underway with an additional commissioner of the MCD at the Civic Centre.

Authorities are asking us to call off the strike in view of the rising cases of dengue, he said.

The strike by DBC workers could spell trouble for Delhi, as due to early monsoon rains and recent flooding in parts of Delhi because of the rising water levels of Yamuna, there is a threat of rise in cases of dengue and other vector-borne diseases.

The strike began in the morning and a large number of DBC workers, many holding placards, have gathered outside gate no. 5 of Civic Centre to lodge their protest.