New Delhi: Amid concerns over the dengue
outbreak in the capital ahead of Commonwealth Games, civic authorities have sought the help of army engineering personnel to prevent mosquito breeding near the athletes` village here.
The Games Village is surrounded by pools of water from
three sides, making it quite conducive for breeding of
mosquitoes and the MCD staff are finding it difficult to
tackle the situation, officials said.
"The Army Corps of Engineering has the requisite
experience, training and the necessary equipment. So, we have
sought their help. They are most likely to start work near the
Games Village from tomorrow," MCD Public Health Committee Chairman V K Monga said today.
The cases of the vector-borne disease has crossed 1500 in
the capital this season and the civic bodies are blaming
incessant rains and stagnation of water at Games construction
sites for the rapid increase in cases of dengue.
Over 20 participating nations has sought information from
the Games Organising Committee about the dengue outbreak in
the city and steps being taken to combat it before the mega
sporting event in early October.
Monga said the Village on the Yamuna river-bed in east
Delhi was surrounded by water from three sides and it is
30-ft deep on one side with mud all over. "Due to rains, water
is getting accumulated there making it conducive for breeding.
MCD staff is using anti-larvae chemical but it is getting
washed away due to heavy downpour," he said.
He said the army engineering men will drain out and shift
the water into the river, fill the pit with soil and flatten
it after which MCD staff will conduct fogging exercises and
spray anti-larvae chemical. Similar exercise will be carried
on all the sides to sanitise the surroundings of the Village
which will house athletes and delegates during the Games.
"We were depending on the Irrigation Department for
assisting us but they have expressed their inability. So, the
army help has been sought," Monga said.
Monga had earlier said authorities are undertaking an
exercise to spray a special chemical at all Games venues which
will keep mosquitoes at bay for nearly three months.
The chemical -- synthetic pyrethroid -- will be sprayed
on the walls of all rooms of the Games Village as well as
other 21 sports or training venues in the city," he had said.
Officials have said athletes will also be given mosquito
nets and repellents to keep dengue away. Dengue is spread by
Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus mosquitoes and has a short
incubation period -- usually two to seven days.
PTI
