CAG flays MCDs over dengue outbreak, says they 'wasted' crores

The CAG has rapped the BJP-ruled civic bodies in the national capital for failing to mount an effective response to dengue despite having adequate funds, crores of which, the auditor said, were wasted.
The CAG's performance audit report tabled in the Delhi Assembly today said the municipal bodies spent Rs 109.43 crore, between 2013-15, on domestic breeding-checkers without any supervision of the work done or any assessment.
The audit was conducted to assess whether the steps taken by government agencies and municipal corporations to control dengue were adequate and effective, the Comptroller and Auditor General said.
"Despite the recurrence of dengue over the years in the NCT of Delhi and the spike in dengue cases as well as mortalities during 2015, the steps taken by the departments as well as the municipal corporations were not commensurate with the magnitude of the problem though funds were not a constraint," it said.

According to data shared by the Centre in Parliament, the viral disease, which is transmitted through the bite of the female Aedes mosquito, had claimed 60 lives in Delhi in 2015, recording a sharp rise over the previous years.
Among the institutional gaps that the CAG report pointed out was the lack of an effective surveillance mechanism.

Only 289 out of 967 reporting units (30 per cent) reported dengue data to the State Surveillance Unit thereby undermining its objective, the report said.
"Expenditure totalling Rs 42.85 crore was incurred on anti-mosquito operations adopting techniques and chemical formulations that are not prescribed or recommended. In addition, there was no record of usage of insecticides valued at Rs 79.76 lakh," it said.

The watchdog also pulled up the Delhi government for spending Rs 10.04 crore during 2013-15 on awareness campaigns for prevention of dengue after its outbreak, thereby "defeating" its purpose.
"The civic bodies and NDMC undertook thermal outdoor fogging during the dengue season in the years 2013 to 2015 at a cost of Rs 95.10 lakh as a routine exercise without exploring the possibility of adoption of ULV spray which is more cost-effective," it said.
Ultra Low Volume Spray (ULV) is recommended as being more cost-effective than thermal fogging since no diluent is used in this technique.
The erstwhile MCD was trifurcated in 2012 into North Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC), South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) and East Delhi Municipal Corporation (EDMC).

BJP has been ruling the civic bodies, elections to which are due in April, for the last 10 years.