HC advises people to keep houses clean to prevent dengue

In a humanitarian gesture, the Bombay High Court today cautioned the citizens to keep their houses as well as surroundings clean and hygienic in the wake of outbreak of dengue, saying it should not be left entirely to the Government to act.
"Government may use its machinery to prevent the spread of this dreaded disease but a responsibility is also cast upon the citizens to ensure that they keep their houses clean and free of mosquitoes," said a bench headed by Chief Justice Mohit Shah while hearing a petition.
Hearing a public interest litigation, the Bombay High Court asked Maharashtra Government and Directorate of Health Services in the State to file separate affidavits in reply to the public interest litigation, seeking to declare dengue, which has claimed several lives, as an epidemic.

While the State said it would file an affidavit tomorrow, the Directorate of Health Services has been asked to declare their stand in an affidavit by December 17.
The Court also asked the petitioner Vishnu Gavali to make Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation and other civic bodies as respondents.
Besides the State Government and some civic bodies, the petitioner has also made Chief Minister Devendra Phadnavis, Chief Secretary of the State and City and Industrial Development Corporation (CIDCO) as parties to the PIL.

When the matter came up hearing, only State and CIDCO were represented while others were absent. The bench then inquired about the parties and directed all the concerned to be present on next occasion in the court.

The petitioner argued that people suffered from dengue in Navi Mumbai as well and there was an urgent need to prevent the disease from spreading. Dengue had claimed several lives in the State, the petition said and demanded that the Government should declare the disease as an epidemic
Gavali said CIDCO was not taking enough steps to control the disease and said his organisation was doing its bit to spread awareness about cleanliness and hygiene in the city.
The bench then asked CIDCO to file an affidavit within two weeks.