Dengue and chikungunya: Delhi HC asks AAP govt 'why should people suffer?'

New Delhi: Amid rising cases of dengue and chikungunya being reported in the national capital, the Delhi High Court on Tuesday asked the AAP government as to why residents continue to face the threat of vector-borne diseases.

The court said this was so because the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) has not been able to clear garbage in unauthorised colonies.

The development came as the HC was hearing several petitions seeking action taken by the Delhi government and civic authorities to stop the spread of dengue and chikungunya.

The court also questioned the Delhi government on the issue of rampant regularisation of unauthorised colonies that is making the job of municipal corporations harder.

"For right to shelter and right to city and the community, you are compromising on the health of citizens," the high court told counsel of the city government.

The bench said that it would pass an order on the issue on Wednesday.

The bench of Justices Gita Mittal and C Harishankar asked the MCD what will happen if the safai karamcharis go on a strike for three months, while referring to the current crisis in East Delhi Municipal Corporation.

Justice Gita Mittal noted that garbage was not collected overnight and it was because the job was not done.

"We need to streamline process of garbage collection and disposal. We need biometric attendance at least 3-4 times a day. Take pictures of Dhalaos and we will make it a part of the order. There will be a visible difference in Delhi," Justice Gita said.

The court also expressed its displeasure with work style of the municipal corporations, while adding that the Delhi Legal Service is also planning to start a programme of awareness for citizens about the cleanliness and solid waste management.

The high court had earlier slammed Municipal Corporation of Delhi (north, south and east) in failing to manage the sanitation and garbage management in the national capital.

The South and North MCD commissioners had appeared before the court, while the EDMC commissioner got exemption as he was out of the country.

After watching the media reports in the court room, the high court clearly said that these reports are showing the ground reality and the reports showed by the MCD are clearly an `eye wash`.

The court also questioned the MCD over their planning, coordination and preparation leading to clogging of drains and the unaddressed problem of garbage lying unattended in the city leading to vector-borne diseases in the national capital.

Rebuking all the sections of MCDs for keeping in view the growing menace of vector-borne diseases, the court criticised the MCDs for being apathetic towards the problems of people.

The court questioned them over their zero preparation leading to clogging of drains everywhere just by light showers in the national capital.

As per the latest data revealed by the South Delhi Municipal Corporation, Delhi recorded 80 cases of chikungunya and 30 cases of dengue in just four months, since January 1 this year, although the season for vector-borne diseases in Delhi is between July and December.

In 2016, Delhi witnessed its first ever chikungunya outbreak that affected 9,661 people.

(With ANI inputs)