Delhi’s civic bodies to impose heavy fines to prevent mosquito breeding

The civic agencies of the city have been issued directions to visit construction sites in the city regularly and check for breeding of mosquitoes. Any place that is found to be flouting norms can invite a heavy fine.

On Friday, officials asked malaria officers and dengue breeding checkers to issue on spot challans to defaulters, if breeding of mosquito was noticed at their construction site.

According to officials, despite repeated requests to prevent collection of clean water at construction sites, breeding of mosquitoes had been found due to negligence of owners/contractors.

The civic bodies of the city started imposing fines from April this year and till June 23, the South Delhi Municipal Corporation had issued over 2,700 notices to construction sites for ‘breeding of mosquitoes’ and not taking appropriate measures to prevent the vector borne disease. The number of notices issued, however, were comparatively low in the north (600) and east (350) municipal corporations.

Apart from construction sites, around 350 people belonging to various institutions, government organisations and hospitals have also been issued challan for mosquito breeding till June 23 by the South Delhi Municipal Corporation alone.

“We don’t want to take the risk and that’s why malaria inspectors and dengue breeding checkers have been asked to focus their attention on construction sites. Even last year, there were cases of mosquito breeding reported near East Kidwai Nagar area,” said Puneet Goel, commissioner, south MCD.

The agency is also stressing on information, education and communication initiatives for reaching out to the masses and roping in their cooperation to prevent the spread of vector borne diseases.

“Initiatives such as distribution of pamphlets in parks and other places, deployment of more than 300 auto tippers, 104 three-wheelers mounted with public announcement systems to reach out to the public and spread the message of prevention has been initiated in all 104 wards,” said a senior South Delhi municipal Corporation official.

This is in addition to contacting residents, along with area councillors, interacting with members of RWAs, advertisements in newspapers, jingles on the radio and flexes at prominent places that have already come up, to prevent and control vector borne disease.

“It is important to eliminate the breeding of larvae at the source, rather than depending on insecticide spray, application of larvicide etc. after the outbreak of vector borne disease. I have been monitoring the on information, education and communication campaigns and other steps being taken by the Public Health Department,” said Goel, who has instructed his staff to keep a special eye out on vulnerable localities.