New Delhi: The number of dengue cases in Delhi this season has crossed 5,270, the highest in the national capital in a year since 2015, according to a civic report released on Monday, with nearly 2,570 fresh cases of the vector-borne disease logged in the last one week. However, no fresh fatality was reported by the authorities.
In the previous years, the total count of dengue cases stood at — 4,431 (in 2016), 4,726 (2017), 2,798 (2018), 2,036 (2019) and 1,072 (2020), according to the report.
In 2015, the city had witnessed a massive outbreak of dengue, during which the number of reported cases crossed 10,600 in October alone, making it the worst outbreak of the vector-borne disease in the national capital since 1996. Of the dengue cases in Delhi this year, 3,740 were reported in the first 13 days of November and so far, authorities have reported nine deaths from the disease in the city.
However, sources state the numbers may be higher and at least three dengue-related deaths reports remain pending investigation by the audit committee within the civic body.
Officials at South Delhi Municipal Corporation state that the heavy rains and late-onset of winter have led to such an unprecedented surge. Offering no other answers, they are pushing the blame on the Delhi government for not covering potholes and allowing water to accumulate allowing mosquitoes to breed and spread dengue.
Significantly, Millennium Post had last week reported that spending on anti-vector-borne diseases campaigns has decreased significantly this year. Officials explained that they are still in the middle of the financial year, therefore, the budget may seem off and they will eventually catch up to previous years' spending.
But data shows South MCD has only spent Rs 29.4 crore this year till the first week of November, compared to previous years Rs 40.25 crore in FY-20-21, Rs 34.8 crore in FY 19-20, and Rs 33.2 crore in FY 18-19, and Rs 33.6 crore in FY 17-18.
Similarly, North MCD also spent only Rs 25 crores this year whereas in previous years they spent Rs 30 crore in FY 20-21 and Rs 35.60 crore in FY 19-20. These spendings include salaries of DBC workers, general expenditure on fogging machines and other equipment.
Moreover, domestic breeding checkers are among those who have not received salaries from the corporation in the past few months. In addition, Millennium Post also found that the number of house visits for breeding checks was considerably low this year compared to 2018 and 2019, when fewer cases were reported.