Dengue deaths: Govt, agencies trade charges

Even as the national capital is battling the yearly dengue menace, the administration is busy trading charges over the issue. Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit and North Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC) mayor Azad Singh on Thursday blamed each other over the rising dengue cases in the city. 

‘The three municipal corporations have not been able to fulfil their basic responsibility of providing sanitation services and overcoming the breeding of mosquitoes. Their staff of around 3,500 domestic breeding checkers has been roaming here and there to perform duties other than those assigned to them,’ Dikshit alleged in a statement on Thursday. 

She further added that the city government has provided 700 dedicated dengue beds in its government hospitals for treatment of patients and appropriate arrangements have been made for blood and platelets for patients.

‘The vector of dengue mosquito — Aedes breeds in fresh water not in dirty water, hence the charge of poor sanitation is false and fictitious,’ said Singh. ‘It’s due to poor water supply, the residents collect water in their tanks leading to breeding of mosquitoes in the area. 

Furthermore, most people are falling sick due to dirty water as 36 of the 50 samples picked up from Shahbad Dairy area where 10 deaths were reported on Tuesday, failed the test. It is now confirmed that none of the deaths were due to dengue,’ added Singh. 

The mayor also alleged that the government cut the allocation for sanitation from Rs 250 crore to Rs 100 but disbursed only Rs 25 crore. 

‘We are fighting against dengue with our own resources as government has disbursed over Rs 500 crore dispite several assurances by chief minister herself,’ claimed Singh. 

Meanwhile, the number of registered dengue cases rose to 1,698 this year, out of which 374 cases were confirmed in the last three days alone.