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| Used tyres in the godowns |
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New Delhi: With the onset of monsoon in Delhi, which brought respite to the Delhiites from the scorching heat, the fear of an outbreak of water borne diseases are looming large as well. Last week a patient was detected positive for the Dengue virus in Delhi. However, health ministry of Delhi, it claims, is all prepared to fight-out the mosquito borne calamities- Dengue, Chikungunia and Japanese Encephalitis.
Government is toying beaten paths to control the outbreak of Dengue by formulating a “strong task force” comprising 3200 health staff for not only inspecting various 'potential breeding grounds' of Aedes mosquito in the Capital but also making people aware about the epidemic, exercises would once be confined to inspecting water coolers, water tanks, premises of offices and homes and drains.
Amid all this, some storehouses of Dengue virus are breathing just below the Capital's neck, but unfortunately, they are mostly unnoticed or sometimes even ignored by the Health Ministry and other concerned authorities. According to exclusive an information to Headlines India, used-tyre godowns located in Jagatpur and Sangam Vihar of north Delhi are proving as storehouses of the larva of Ades mosquito, responsible for spreading the deadly infectious disease.
There are about 45 such tyre godowns in and around Jagatpur village. Almost all godowns are un-roofed and old tyres stored there contain rainwater with breeding mosquito larva into it. Presence of humming mosquitoes around the space very clearly speaks the story of a possible danger posed by these unprotected breeding grounds of Aedes.
A senior official of the Health Ministry informed Headlines India that domestic appliances like water coolers and old broken pots, however, have been targeted by health department and have been pointed as the primary source of Dengue mosquito, but tyre godowns are functioning as the perennial source of the larva.
“Mosquito breeding is very fast in accumulated clean water. That's why outbreak of the disease takes place in rainy season. Once the season is over, Dengue virus is also over. But the stored rainwater in these tyre godowns ensure the lives of larva and keep the supply intact throughout the year. The virus spread with all its potential when the favorable season arrives,” the official said on the conditions of anonymity.
Jagatpur is the main storage centre of old tyres in Delhi. Godown owners, mostly having political backup, collect it in large number and later resale them to the transporters in adjoining states of Uttar Pradesh and Haryana for resoling purposes.
When inquired about the threat these storages are posing to health of the citizens, one of the godown owner ridiculed the claim. “There are so many areas where water has been accumulated. Nobody is talking about those. Mosquitoes are everywhere,” said Manohar Chand.
People of the locality are also mostly unaware of it. However, they do complain about the excessive mosquito breeding in the area.
Officials, although have expressed satisfaction over the outcome of their efforts. Where in 1996 the Capital had registered more than 10000 cases of dengue, the figure came down to 3000 with 65 deaths in 2006 and further upto 548 with single death in 2007.
In a scenario, when the threat of dengue is looming large over Delhi due to conducive wet and humid weather conditions this summer, government and concerned agencies must take notice of the extensively fertile, permanent and potential breeding grounds of such diseases.
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