Notice issued to MMRDA over rising dengue cases

Mumbai: The BMC has served notice to the Maharashtra Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) over rising cases of dengue in the city; around 12 workers from the BMC have been diagnosed with dengue and malaria, due to the ongoing metro work near Mantralaya.

While work is underway to deliver a swanky metro to Mumbaikars, the metro works are not only affecting Mumbaikars in terms of traffic jams but are now also causing BMC workers to fall ill. Stagnant water in the pits dug up for metro work is the cause of an uptick in cases of malaria and dengue in the city. The Aedes Aegypti mosquito is the main vector that transmits the virus causing dengue and the same proliferates in stagnant water.

In such circumstances, the BMC has issued a notice to MMRDA to ensure that water does not remain for long in such pits and the pits are filled so that no water can accumulate in them helping mosquitoes breed.

Kiran Dighavkar, assistant commissioner, BMC, told members of the Press, “Due to the ongoing metro work near Mantralaya, 12 workers have been diagnosed with dengue and malaria. The MMRDA is not paying attention to the stagnant water, despite repeated verbal complaints. We have written to the MMRDA to ensure that water does not remain there for the safety of our workers as well as Mumbaikars.”

With the monsoon just round the corner, Mumbaikars must guard against monsoon-related ailments.