Dengue outbreak: Ajay Maken files PIL in HC

Congress leader Ajay Maken on Saturday filed a PIL in the Delhi High Court, accusing the ruling Aam Aadmi Party and MCDs of not acting vigilantly and responsibly to control dengue, a mosquito-borne tropical disease.

The Public Interest Litigation (PIL) was filed in the wake of dengue claiming more lives daily in the national capital.

In the PIL, Maken said the Delhi government failed to initiate awareness campaigns and a dengue outbreak alarm was raised only after fatal cases of dengue, which is otherwise not a life threatening disease.

It said the Delhi government had allocated approximately Rs.81 crores towards "Malaria and Dengue Control Programmes". However, it has not bothered to release the funds to the MCDs and citing lack of funds as an 'alibi' for their gross failure in controlling dengue outbreak, the agencies have rendered the general public completely helpless.

"There is a lack of coordination and unpreparedness on behalf of the Delhi government, central government and also the municipal authorities in Delhi in addressing and controlling the unprecedented outbreak of dengue and the deteriorating public health in the city," said the plea.

It said all hospitals -- private and public -- should be directed to not refuse any patients on account of monetary conditions or any other reason and in any case of misconduct of the hospitals or refusal, heavy penalty must be imposed by the court.

The MCDs should be directed to urgently undertake special fumigation drives, sanitation drives and anti-mosquito breeding drives in their respective areas, said the PIL, adding the central government should be directed to depute more doctors in the national capital from the central pool (i.e. from other states).

The PIL is likely to come up for hearing on Monday.

In a different PIL, the court has sought a status report by September 24 from the central and Delhi governments on the steps taken to control the dengue menace.