India News | HC Displeased over 'no Action' by Authorities Against Mosquito Breeding

New Delhi, Mar 25 (PTI) The Delhi High Court on Friday expressed its displeasure over the city government's failure to amend the law and increase penalty to deter breeding of mosquitoes.

It said its request fell on “deaf ears”.

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The high court, which had earlier asked the Chief Secretary to personally look into the matter, directed the bureaucrat to file an affidavit on the action taken, with a rider that if he failed to do so he will have to appear in court on April 22, the next hearing.

“On the aspect of increasing fine, we had earlier directed the Chief Secretary to look into and had issued directions. Unfortunately nothing has been done seriously and our request fell on deaf ears.

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“We direct the Chief Secretary to file an affidavit in this regard within two weeks, failing which he shall remain present in the next hearing,” a special bench of Acting Chief Justice Vipin Sanghi and Justice Jasmeet Singh said.

The court was earlier informed that the proposal to enhance punishment and amend section 482 of the Delhi Municipal Act and Section 390 of the NDMC Act was still pending with the Delhi government for its active consideration.

At present, there is a provision of fine of Rs 500 for people who do not keep their surroundings clean and allow water to stagnate leading to mosquito breeding.

The bench, which was hearing the case concerning large scale mosquito breeding in the city on its own motion, listed the matter for rest of the issues on May 6.

The court had earlier appointed advocate Rajat Aneja as an amicus curiae to assist it in the matter and also allowed him to participate in the stakeholder meetings.

The high court had on December 24, 2021, directed the East, South, and North MCDs, the Delhi Cantonment Board, and New Delhi Municipal Council, to set up task forces - to be headed by their commissioners -- to monitor and control mosquito breeding.

It was informed that separate task forces were constituted at headquarter and zonal levels and the first meeting was held on January 4.

Last year, the court had also pulled up municipal corporations for their failure to control the spread of dengue which has doubled this year in the national capital, saying there was a complete paralysis in civic administration as no one is bothered about the deaths.

It had said that the authorities have become so populist in their approach that the policies are being made only in populist ways and they are scared of doing anything that will cost them votes.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)