Rise in vector-borne diseases prompts civic body to act before monsoon

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Sanjay Deshmukh, additional municipal commissioner and in-charge of the health department, said, “We have already asked the ward officials to check previous records and map those areas. They have to keep a constant check to prevent water-logging, garbage dumping and any other activity that result in creating breeding spots. The ward will face severe consequences if the instructions are not adhered to. Clearing breeding spots is one of the major concerns to curtail the number of dengue and malaria cases. We cannot completely rely on fogging as a measure.”

The decentralisation process comes in the wake of the higher number of dengue and malaria cases registered in 2014. According to officials, there were more than 861 dengue cases and 12 dengue-related deaths reported in the city. “We were successful in bringing down the number of cases of malaria to 9,000. The task in front of us is to maintain these standards for which we have to take various precautionary measures,” Deshmukh added.

In addition, senior officials said they were also “coming down heavily” on roadside food vendors as a precautionary measure this monsoon. According to civic officials, the BMC has started taking action against vendors operating without licenses and those cooking on roads. “We have started sending notices to such unauthorised vendors,” an official said. Last week, the BMC also demolished two stalls in the P-North ward, which includes Malad, Goregaon and Oshiwara.

tanushree.venkatraman@expressindia.com