MCD dengue control hit by court stay on biolarvicides

According to Municipal Health Officer N K Yadav,the MCD has been using another chemical larvicide,Temephos,which is not as effective as the biolarvicides,especially for preventing mosquito breeding in drains.

The trouble began when a larvicide supplier,Sumitomo Chemical India Private Ltd,approached the Delhi High Court earlier last month alleging irregularities in the procurement of biolarvicides by the MCD for the current year. The MCD claimed it has no direct role in the procurement of drugs and instead gets its required lot through its procurement agency Hindustan Latex Ltd.

The High Court then passed an interim restraint order on the procurement of the biolarvicides.

The MCD then sought permission from the court to procure a biolarvicide for an interim period of 15 days in the “interest of public health”,claiming “its stock position of biolarvicides was almost nil”.

“The months of June to September are most critical to control any outbreak of dengue and malaria,and if spraying biolarvicides is not undertaken at the earliest,it may result in an outbreak of dengue and malaria,” the MCD submitted before the High Court.

While the court permitted the MCD to procure biolarvicides for 15 days,the agency has already used up that stock and is making do with Temephos for now. The matter will now be taken up in the High Court on Wednesday.

“While the MCD does not have anything to do with the legal battle directly,we hope the matter is cleared soon,for Temephos is not as effective when used in big drains

or large areas where water stagnates,” Yadav said.

Meanwhile,the MCD has claimed it is confident that the outbreak of dengue and malaria will not spiral into a full-fledged epidemic this year. The civic body’s staff is working overtime to coordinate its efforts for better results.

It has already deployed health officials at all Games construction sites to monitor the mosquito-breeding index on a daily basis and has also begun fumigating the Commonwealth Games Village,which falls under a ‘high-risk area’ due to its proximity to the Yamuna.