Stop talking, take action: SC on dengue scare

Supreme Court pulls up Delhi government for failing to provide details of preparations it has made to enforce waste management and prevent outbreak of dengue this summer, says no action has been taken

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court came down heavily on the Delhi government on Wednesday for failing to provide details of the preparations it has made to enforce waste management and prevent the outbreak of dengue this summer.

“What are you authorities waiting for, an atom bomb of garbage to explode,” the bench led by Justice MB Lokur said, apparently angry over the additional solicitor general representing the Delhi government having no idea about the steps taken. The lawyer only had minutes of a two-month old meeting to discuss the issue.

“This meeting was held on January 12 and the minutes were prepared on February 9. Still you say you do not know what steps have been taken. You keep discussing matters. But no action is taken,” the judge said.

The remarks come amid growing concerns that this year might see a spike in infections caused by mosquitoes. On March 5, HT reported warnings from scientists that a warmer-than-usual winter and an earlier-than-usual summer could spur breeding of mosquitoes responsible for dengue and chikungunya.

Justice Lokur asked the counsel to gather the information and present it on March 19. “You are also a resident of this city. Please do not take this lightly,” he said.

The country’s top court is hearing a case related to implementation of Solid Waste Management Rules 2016 across the country. It had on December 12 last year asked the Centre to follow up on the issue and furnish details.

The issue regarding solid waste management arose in 2015 when the SC took cognizance of death of a seven-year-old boy in Delhi due to dengue. The child was allegedly denied treatment by five private hospitals.

That year, 38 people died due to dengue alone. In 2016, the fatalities stood at 16.

The death triggered concern over diseases like dengue and chikungunya that are spread by mosquitoes and the court identified a lack of waste management as the cause of several lives being lost across the country due to such infections.

Additional solicitor general ANS Nadkarni, representing the Centre, told the bench that it received details from 28 of the 36 states and union territories on solid waste management.