GREEN COURT APPOINTS 10 LAWYERS TO TRACK DENGUE

dengue and chikungunya surfacing early, the National Green Tribunal has appointed 10 lawyers as ‘local commissioners’ to take stock of the ground scenario and tell it how prepared is the city to tackle the menace.

Even though the season for these diseases begins from midJuly and generally lasts till November-end, at least 86 cases of chikungunya and 32 cases of dengue have already been reported till April-end this year.

“The commissioners, divided into small groups of two to three each, will visit areas under the three civic bodies and Delhi Cantonment board to see what steps have been taken. They would be paid Rs 15,000 each,” a bench headed by NGT chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar directed on Thursday.

The NGT in September 2016 had come up with a detailed order on what steps should be taken to curb the menace.

In 2016, Delhi saw its first ever chikungunya outbreak that affected 9,661 people.

In 2015, 16,000 dengue cases were reported and 60 people lost their lives to the disease.

“The commissioners will collect information on disposal of solid waste, particularly in unauthorised colonies, water logging, fresh water pools and fumigation among others. They would have to submit a report to the NGT’s principal bench,” said advocate Gaurav Bansal who filed the petition on behalf of Mahendra Pandey a former CPCB scientist.

Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal has also called a meeting on May 13 with all civic bodies, medical superintendents of hospitals and his ministers to review preparedness to deal with dengue and chikungunya.

“Dengue and chikungunya have already started to spread and it seems there is no proper action plan. Action must be taken and accountability has to be fixed,” the bench observed.

IN 2016, THE NATIONAL CAPITAL SAW ITS FIRST EVER CHIKUNGUNYA OUTBREAK THAT AFFECTED 9,661 PEOPLE