Plea seeks HC intervention regarding preparedness, control of vector-borne diseases in Delhi

New Delhi [India], September 18 : An application was moved in the Delhi High Court on Thursday seeking its intervention regarding steps taken and preparedness in controlling vector-borne diseases in Delhi by concerned authorities including the governments.
Advocate Arpit Bhargava submitted before the bench consisting of Justice DN Patel and Justice Amit Bansal that "We should not see a repeat of the situation in Faizabad, since children are dying there because of dengue."
The fresh application stated details on how governments have allegedly failed to act on orders of the High Court on dengue passed earlier.
The Bench said that the court will allow the petitioner to intervene and make submissions in the pending suo motu case and will not entertain another disposed of Public Interest Litigation (PIL) matter. The bench also said that the government will have no objection to petitioners intervening here as it is in the public interest.
The fresh application states that dengue cases have started showing up and highlights the tremendous increase in cases of vector-borne diseases such as dengue, malaria and chikungunya, this time around the year.
The plea said that it is very much evident that respondent authorities have done nothing for the prevention of such diseases and are moreover neglecting the fact that these vector-borne diseases arise soon after the monsoon season, along with no heed being paid to effective implementation of Solid Waste Management Bye-Laws drafted under the supervision of this Court itself.
The Plea also alleged that no outreach and awareness campaigns etc were conducted by the respondents despite an order dated 17.08.2016 passed by the Court. Even no periodic visits of the houses, more particularly those located in slum areas for prevention of breeding of mosquitoes, as directed by the court earlier.
Advocate Arpit Bhargava has approached the Delhi High court with an application filed in a disposed of PIL matter in which several directions were passed by the Court from 2016 to 2018. The court had then directed all the respondents including the Centre, Delhi government and civic bodies concerned to take appropriate steps for periodic visits of the houses, more particularly those located in slum areas for prevention of breeding of mosquitoes by adopting the necessary anti-mosquito measure such as fogging operations and spray of insecticides was directed to be taken by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) and the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC).
The court had earlier also directed the government of India, Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi, MCD, NDMC to conduct the awareness campaign and advertise through various modes viz. hoardings, television, newspaper, radio, etc. to make the public aware of the life-threatening disease and the preventive measures to be taken to control the dengue cases in Delhi.