India News | Take Prompt Steps to Tackle Malaria, Dengue, Chikungunya in Delhi: MCD Councillor to Mayor

New Delhi, Jul 15 (PTI) Municipal councillor Mukesh Goyal on Tuesday demanded immediate and concrete steps from Mayor Raja Iqbal Singh and Municipal Commissioner Ashwini Kumar to tackle the spread of malaria, dengue and chikungunya.

Addressing a press conference, Goyal, who is also a leader of the Indraprastha Vikas Party (IVP), expressed concern over the spike in malaria cases, which have reached 101 in Delhi as of July 12, marking the highest number recorded during this period in recent years.

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In comparison, only 26 cases were reported in 2023, 21 in 2022 and 13 in 2021, he said.

According to Goyal, 246 cases of dengue and 17 of chikungunya have also been reported so far this year.

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Mosquito breeding has been detected in 71,086 households across the city.

"The number of malaria cases has already crossed last year's figures and the peak of the monsoon is still ahead. The MCD (Municipal Corporation of Delhi) has failed to make adequate arrangements to prevent the spread of mosquito-borne diseases," Goyal alleged.

He criticised the functioning of the MCD, claiming that instead of addressing the root causes of the outbreak, officials have issued legal notices to 58,671 residents between January 1 and July 12 for failing to prevent mosquito breeding on their premises.

"The MCD officials are more focused on harassing the public than on fulfilling their duties," he said, adding that prosecution action has been taken against over 10,426 people, with fines amounting to Rs 9.25 lakh already collected.

Goyal urged the civic leadership to intensify fogging drives, desilting of drains and public awareness campaigns, warning that failure to act promptly could put more lives at risk in the days to come.

(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)