Bastar, Sarguja regions of Chhattisgarh battle malaria
EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE

RAIPUR, NOV 23: Bastar and Sarguja regions of the newly-created state of Chhattisgarh are in the grip of malaria. Although the region has had to deal with malaria on an annual basis, this year a drug-resistant form of the disease has been detected, making treatment difficult. The usual doses of chloroquin are not having any effect in combating the disease, sources said.

In Jagdalpur district, 18 deaths have been recorded over the past two months while in Korba, 16 deaths were reported. Unofficial sources, however, say that the disease has claimed more than 200 lives in the state.

Chief Minister Ajit Jogi, however, has refrained from giving any official figures, saying there was wide disparity between the death toll recorded by officials and those touted by the public. He added that the administration had geared up to deal with the situation and admitted that Bastar and Sarguja were the worst-affected regions.

In Bastar, members of the Regional Malaria Control Board have visited the Belenga area and reported that about 18 people have died of malaria so far. Official reports say blood samples of about 2,20,000 people have been collected but only 23,000 were tested for malaria. Once people started dying, the local administration has become more active, sources said.

Meanwhile, senior BJP leader and MLA Brij Mohan Agarwal has alleged that despite knowing that such a situation arises every year, the Jogi government is doing nothing to help the common man.

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