Jamia Nagar records highest dengue cases

NEWDELHI: The backyard of Jamia Millia Islamia University has emerged as the danger zone for dengue outbreak in Delhi.

Fifty-five cases of dengue have been recorded in the residential areas around the university such as Shaheen Bagh, Abul Fazal Enclave, Okhla village, Zakir Nagar, Jamia Nagar, Okhla and Gaffar Manzil, according to data provided by municipal agencies till September 17.

Shaheen Bagh, an unauthorised colony in south east Delhi has reported 22 cases — the highest — followed by Abu Fazal Enclave with 15 cases. The Okhla area recorded four cases and one case was recorded from Okhla village. Five cases were reported from Zakir Nagar, seven from Jamia Nagar and one from Gaffar Manzil.

A total of 1,378 cases of dengue were reported till September 17.

South corporation, that collates the data of dengue cases in Delhi, has no information about the origin of other cases as either the patient’s address was not available or it couldn’t be traced.

When HT visited, Shaheen Bagh, every person in the locality knew someone, who has been affected with dengue.

Saroj Khan, a resident, attributed the high number of cases in the locality to rampant construction in the area.

“Every locality you visit, you will find construction being done flouting all norms. The workers spray water on the walls of the new construction but do not bother to clean the water that gets accumulated there,” she said.

Additional commissioner, SDMC, Meeta Singh said that the major reason behind the outbreak of the disease in the area is unauthorised construction, especially in basements.

‘People have constructed basements up to two floors illegally as it is easy to hide unauthorised construction below the ground. Secondly, our officials have to face lot of confrontation if they go to inspect,” Singh said.

The corporation has got water pumped out from 30 basements in the past three weeks and around 60 houses were fined, said a senior official of SDMC.

Can we develop test kits which can help diagnose the diseases. The medical science has become technologydriven and there is an opportunity here.

In every family there is someone infected with viral fever but people still throw garbage on roads... Whom will you blame?

In the last one week I saw fogging being done by political parties as well as corporation staff but before that I didn’t see any.