AAP MLAs accuse civic bodies for spurt in dengue, chikungunya cases

New Delhi: In the wake of a spurt in dengue and chikungunya cases in Delhi, AAP legislators today accused the three BJP-controlled civic bodies of making the city's sanitation facilities a "mess" which they claimed was the major factor behind the spike.

Taking a dig at the MCD authorities, Health Minister Satyendra Jain said their "failure" to maintain cleanliness, desilting sewers have effectively "tarnished" the image of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and hit his ambitious Swachh Bharat Mission in the national capital.

Jain said all the three civic bodies have primary responsibility to take preventive measures to control these diseases while the Delhi government has curative responsibility.

Legislators demanded from the minister to hand over the list of sanitation workers to them so that they have details of cleaning staff for their constituencies.

MLA Jagdish Singh said despite the Delhi government releasing funds to MCD, they have failed to clean the city due to their alleged corruption leading to spurt in numbers of chikungunya and dengue cases.

Okhla MLA Amanatulla Khan said in his constituency, 80 per cent of areas are unauthorised so there is no sanitation work there, adding that one can easily see dump of garbage everywhere which was often not lifted by MCD.

Raju Dhingan, who is MLA from Trilokpuri, alleged that every councillor has 5-6 sanitation workers for cleaning their offices and houses that is why staff is not available for cleaning colonies.

"Drains have not desilted by MCD which is leading to spike in dengue and chikungunya cases in Delhi. MCD has duty to prevent these diseases from increasing. They have not hired regular staff for 20 years. House should seek details of purchase of fogging machines, medicines," Laxmi Nagar MLA Nitin Tyagi said.

Responding to discussion, the Health Minister said they (civic bodies) are "expert" in making money, but they are not paying attention towards cleaning the national capital.

"Delhi Government is fully prepared to deal with increasing numbers of dengue and chikungunya. Government has set up 355 fever clinics to attend patients. Councillors do not have immunity and that they may be diagnosed with these disease," Jain said.

There is no need for chikungunya patient to be admitted at hospital, the health minister said.

There has been a sudden increase in chikunguniya cases in the national capital, with 362 blood samples testing positive for this mosquito-borne disease in the last one-and-a-half-months at the AIIMS itself.

Dengue claimed its first victim on July 21 when a girl from Jafrabad in northeast Delhi died at Lok Nayak Jai Prakash (LNJP) Hospital.

Okhla MLA Amanatullah Khan's sister-in-law died of dengue on August 12 at Apollo Hospital here, though the municipal authorities have not officially acknowledged these two deaths.