Delhi HC worried on increasing number of typhoid cases

The Delhi High Court on Monday said that there has been a surge in number of typhoid cases in the national capital because of bad drinking water quality and asked what the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) is doing to provide potable water.

A division bench of Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice Anu Malhotra said: "A lot of typhoid cases are being reported in Delhi, which comes from drinking bad quality water."

"We want to be guided on the statutory regime," said the bench asking the Delhi government and civic authorities to submit the statutory rules and regulations to ascertain who can be held responsible for ensuring that the court's directions are complied with.

The court said it was considering forming a high-level committee to monitor the work done to prevent vector-borne diseases like dengue and chikungunya. It also said that it wanted the civic agencies to begin prevention work early this year, so that measures are in place before the monsoon hit the capital.

The court's direction came on two PILs accusing the Aam Aadmi Party government and the three municipal corporations of not acting vigilantly and responsibly in tackling mosquito-borne diseases.

As per status report of South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC), at least 80 cases of chikungunya and 30 cases of dengue have been reported in Delhi in just four months since January 1.

These cases were reported though the season for vector-borne diseases in Delhi is between July and December.

According to the data, 4,431 cases of dengue were reported in 2016 and the number of chikungunya cases stood at 9,749 -- one of the worst outbreak for the disease till now.

--IANS

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