Vector-borne disease: NGT appoints commissioners to monitor measures

AS VECTOR-BORNE diseases begin to spread in the capital, 10 local commissioners across the three municipal corporations have been asked to inspect different places across the city, and report back to the National Green Tribunal (NGT).

Unhappy with the current process of dealing with the spread of dengue and chikungunya, the tribunal rapped authorities on Thursday, calling their steps taken to contain the menace as a mere “formality.”

The bench headed by NGT chairperson Swatanter Kumar also refused to agree with submissions made by civic bodies that dengue patients were mostly outsiders and sufficient precautions have been taken to handle the situation.

“We appoint local commissioners to inspect areas under the jurisdiction of all the municipal corporations and the Delhi Cantonment Board. They shall submit a complete and comprehensive report to show places of waterlogging and dumping of municipal solid waste,” the bench said.

The tribunal also fixed a remuneration of Rs 15,000, which would be paid to the local commissioners by the municipal corporations and Delhi Cantonment Board.

The civic bodies have also been asked to report on the mechanisms adopted for dumping of municipal solid waste in unauthorised colonies, and whether sites for fumigation have been identified or not.

The tribunal also directed the Delhi Cantonment Board to sort out waste at the source itself, and transport it to dumping sites at the Bawana waste processing plant after segregation.

The bench was hearing a plea by former CPCB scientist Mahendra Pandey, calling for setting up of committees to implement precautionary, preventive and curative actions to ensure the city’s residents are not exposed to vector-borne diseases.

The plea has also sought direction to authorities not to undertake outdoor thermal fogging to control dengue, alleging it was anti-environment and caused air pollution.

(WITH INPUTS FROM PTI)