New Delhi, Feb 4 (PTI) The Delhi High Court Friday asked that a meeting of all concerned stakeholders, local authorities, and departments of the Delhi government be called for considering and finalising the protocol for controlling vector-borne diseases such as malaria, chikungunya, and dengue.

A bench headed by Justice Vipin Sanghi, which was hearing its suo motu case concerning large-scale mosquito breeding in the city, was informed by corporations' counsel Divya Prakash Pande that a draft common protocol has been framed in a meeting pursuant to the participation of several authorities.

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Delhi government counsel Satyakam submitted that roles have been imposed on some of its departments such as the PWD even though they were not present in the meeting.

The bench, also comprising Justice Jasmeet Singh, observed that a “commitment” should come from all involved and therefore another meeting should be called to hear out those departments or authorities which did not participate at the time of the formulating the draft common protocol but have been assigned duties and responsibilities.

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“Let us first have this protocol worked out with everybody's participation so that there is the commitment that yes this is what our mandate and this is what is expected of us and this is what we will do. That commitment should come that this we are willing to handle,” the court said.

“The department will say yes or will say sorry I can't do this do for ABCD reason or if there is some tweaking. Whatever is required, you come up with a better document. All of you should sign it and bring it before us,” it added.

The court stated that once the stakeholders have worked out a protocol, a high-ranking officer who commands authority in the administrative hierarchy should be appointed as the nodal officer for its implementation.

“It is advisable that another meeting is called by the nodal officer with the participation of all the departments and agencies to whom roles have been or may be assigned in the matter of control of vector-borne diseases in the NCT of Delhi,” the court said in its order.

“Once the meeting is held, let the draft protocol be finalised and placed on record,” it stated.

It also directed that a senior responsible representative from the irrigation department of the State of Uttar Pradesh also join the meeting as there are several “hotspots” of the diseases in areas adjoining it.

During the hearing, the court questioned the corporation's counsel concerning the timeline within which the proposed protocol would be implemented and if there was any existing framework to tackle the menace of vector-borne diseases.

The court was informed that policies are in place but they did not “work with that intensity”.

Pande informed that the draft common protocol provided for inter-sectoral participation targeted the source of the issue such as water stagnation and called for public participation, regular cleaning of drains and water bodies, etc.

The lawyer added that June and July were proposed to be observed as 'anti-malaria dengue month' and even school children would be involved through projects etc for better awareness.

He added that he would “come back with timelines” on the next date of hearing on February 25.

Advocate Rajat Aneja, who was appointed as an amicus curiae and was allowed by the court to participate in the stakeholder meetings, said that there was a need to intensify the efforts.

The high court had on December 24, 2021, directed that each of the local bodies, including East, South, and North MCDs, Delhi Cantonment Board, and New Delhi Municipal Council shall set up task forces headed by their commissioners concerned to monitor and control mosquito breeding.

Last month, it was informed that separate task forces have been constituted at headquarter and zonal levels, and the first meeting was held on January 4, while the next meeting was scheduled on January 21.

Last year, the court had also pulled up the 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 lose 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)