The New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) has issued notices to five Embassies for dengue mosquitoes breeding on their premises. The council also issued challans to four hospitals and one school that have been found to be breeding grounds of mosquitoes.
The Embassies that have been issued notice are Ethiopia, Czech, Ghana , Malaysia and Singapore .The four hospitals are All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Safdarjung Hospital, Ram Manohar lohia Hospital (RMl) and lady Hardinge Hospital along with Mount Carmel School and several other Government bodies.
Talking to The Pioneer, a senior official of NDMC said, “Whenever we want to conduct inspection in the Embassy area, the officials never allowed us on the ground of protocol violation. However, when two positive cases of dengue were found in Ethiopian, Czech Embassies, then only the Embassy officials allowed our NDMC inspection team to check for mosquito breeding sites, leaving behind their protocol.” Moreover, Bhutan Embassy has invited the NDMC to test suspected mosquito breeding on its campus, added the official.
Besides, all the State Government Bhawans including Ministry of Finance have been issued notices this time, said the official. Even, India Islamic Cultural Centre has also been challaned, he said
With lady Hardinge Hospital being challaned for the first time and director has been issued warning notice by NDMC following AIIMS and Safdarjung Hospital being challaned thrice along with the RMl hospital which has been challened for the second time.
“These locations were found to be active in mosquito breeding for aedes mosquito, which causes dengue and anopheles mosquito causing malaria along with other vector born diseases,” said the official and added, “At Mount Carmel School there were 14 locations on the school premises which was found with mosquito breeding.”
Concerned over the rise in vector born diseases in the monsoon months, R N Singh, CMO, Health at NDMC, said, “It is the collective responsibility of the owner of the building as well as the civic agencies for the preparedness of dengue and vector born diseases in the monsoon months.” People should be more active in making their place hygienic with no open water should be stored in flower pots, cans and buckets, added Singh.