'Is it rocket science?' HC on MCDs' failure to curb dengue spike

New Delhi: Asking how is it that the civic bodies in Delhi are unable to plan for preventive action against dengue despite a constant pattern for the last 10-15 years, the Delhi High Court on Tuesday said, "How can it be that every year dengue is increasing? Is it not a municipal function? We are at pains to understand what is happening? Is it some rocket science that after the monsoon there will be mosquitos? After monsoons, there will be dengue. It's been a pattern for the last 15 to 20 years. Is there some rocket science involved? Is there no planning? Is there no thought process?... How is it that every year… ?"

Significantly, the bench of Justices Vipin Sanghi and Jasmeet Singh thus went on to warn the MCDs that it would not exercise its discretionary jurisdiction in their favour if civic conditions in the city do not improve.

"Is it that the municipality has given up everything and it is only to collect taxes and disburse salaries? We will not entertain this petition. How do they expect salaries if they don't do work," it further said.

Obviously your mosquito checkers, breeders are doing nothing. They are not going to the ground. Probably they are just marking their attendance and you are paying them, that's all. How many of them have been given a show cause for dereliction of duty?" the bench remarked.

The bench was hearing a plea by SDMC challenging a Delhi government decision to seek retrospective recovery of grants-in-aid from municipal bodies, when it noted that this year witnessed a big surge in the number of dengue cases which resulted in several fatalities.

"On October 6, 2021, we had voiced our concern that while the municipal employees are clamouring for payment of their dues, the city was suffering on account of lack of efficient functioning of municipal employees. It appears that the observations have fallen on deaf ears. Since then... the situation in the city has only worsened," the bench said.

Concerned over the dengue spike this year, the court asked the municipal body to state its action plan to deal with the disease, the number of persons looking after the spread as well as the number of infections this year, and the reason behind any increase.

SDMC counsel assured the court that he shall communicate with the municipal commissioners of all the three corporations and place before it the steps which have been taken to control mosquito breeding. The court sought this in two weeks, saying, "... and not just on paper, let a meeting of chairpersons of all the corporations and NDMC and the chief executive of Delhi Cantonment Board be convened within one week from today. For the sake of convenience, we appoint Municipal Commissioner of Delhi Municipal Corporation as the nodal

officer for calling and conducting the said meeting," the court ordered.

The court also asked the corporation to place on record the steps taken concerning geo-tagging their employees and marking biometric attendance.

SDMC has contended that the Delhi government's decision to deduct retrospective recovery grants-in-aid from the civic bodies is arbitrary and void and sought a direction to the Delhi government to refund the amounts consequently deducted. The court granted two weeks to the

Delhi government to file its counter-affidavit to the petition, posting the dengue matter on December 1.