Delhi: 60 per cent spike in mosquito breeding sites in city

The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) imposed a fine for mosquito breeding on 74,306 owners of buildings and construction sites in 2023, which is 61% more than the previous year, according to a senior official.

The MCD official, privy to the development, said on Friday that the civic body imposed a fine of Rs 500 on 45,934 building owners and construction sites in 2022 for mosquito breeding, while in 2021, 27,427 were penalised for the same.

Informing about the legal notices sent by the Corporation, he said, “A total of 1,72,481 legal notices were issued by the MCD regarding mosquito breeding in the national capital in 2023, in order to contain the disease.

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“In 2022, a total of 1,22,282 houses and construction sites were sent the legal notice regarding mosquito breeding while in 2021, a total of 1,50,951 were issued a warning in this respect,” he said.

The MCD official informed that dengue cases are sporadic and no hotpots have been formed in the national capital.

“No report on strain of dengue has been confirmed so far by the Central or state Government,” he stated.

To curb the disease, he said, “Rain water stagnation in and around the houses and land must be prevented by land and building owners to prevent mosquito breeding which is required in controlling dengue.”

Increase fine amount

As per Dr Lalan Verma, Director Health, MCD, “The only way to curb the mosquito breeding in the national capital is to increase the challan amount which currently stands at Rs 500.

“We have already proposed this three years before, but for some reason, the proposal is pending with the Delhi government for approval since then,” he alleged.

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Delhi reported 246 dengue cases

Meanwhile, Delhi Congress claimed that a total of 246 dengue cases have been reported in the national capital to date, this year.

Addressing the media, Delhi Congress president Devender Yadav said that it was a matter of grave concern and worry that a record number of 246 dengue cases have been reported in the Capital between January 1 and June 29, 2024.

“It is the highest number of cases recorded in Delhi since 2019, with the Delhi Health Minister, Saurabh Bhardwaj as always, realising the gravity of the situation rather late, and then “directing” officials to intensify fogging and sanitation campaigns, and “warning” hospitals and officers concerned against “negligence”,” Yadav added.

Notably, the MCD has stopped sharing the vector-borne cases report since one year, which had been going on for a decade.