Dengue: Walia wants higher penalty for those who allow water stagnation

In the wake of rapidly increasing dengue cases in the city, Delhi Health Minister A K Walia has highlighted the need for higher penalty against those not maintaining hygiene, especially in the vicinity of construction sites.

The number of dengue cases in Delhi rose to 985, with 36 cases coming in on Tuesday.

At present, the fine for violating civic norms is Rs 500 — the sum has remained unchanged since 1975. The Health department will soon begin the process of increasing it to Rs 1,000.

"Punitive measures must be strengthened. The fine of Rs 500 for creating mosquitogenic conditions at construction sites is too meagre to be a deterrent. This amount was fixed in 1975 and needs to be raised," Walia said.

Following a meeting on Tuesday of departments concerned, the Health department said the primary places of mosquito breeding are overhead water tanks and construction sites. Walia has directed officials to prepare legislative measures focussing on these spots.

"We are considering suitable amendments to the Unified Building Bye-Laws, 1984," Walia said.

All the municipal agencies have been asked to double the number of fogging machines from two per ward to four in every ward. At present, the municipal agencies have 700 fogging machines.

"We have ordered intensive fogging at construction sites, unauthorised colonies and JJ clusters," Walia said.

In the Cabinet on Tuesday, the three municipal agencies — recently trifurcated MCD — were directed to take immediate steps to control the spread of dengue virus.

Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit said: "We feel the corporations have failed in their primary responsibility of cleanliness and sanitation... If they continue to neglect their functions, the situation may become unmanageable," she said.

Gurgaon has most cases in Haryana

Chandigarh: Two persons have died of the vector-borne dengue infection in Haryana, where 415 confirmed cases were reported till Tuesday. Of the total, 325 cases were from Gurgaon and 47 from Panchkula, a Haryana Health department spokesman said. "One person died in Gurgaon and the other in Rohtak this month," he said.

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