Dengue, chikungunya cases in Maharashtra more than triple: 15 civic bodies asked to take urgent steps

A state notification issued on September 15 has directed the municipal corporations to appoint breeding site ‘checkers’. Their main role is to inspect 200 homes daily and check for mosquito breeding sites. A daily allowance of Rs 450 will be paid and an amount of Rs 39.38 lakh has been allocated for the purpose. According to the notification, a total of 470 such personnel will be appointed to visit 200 homes each daily and inspect for mosquito breeding sites.

Pune Municipal Corporation has been directed to appoint 70 such personnel while 25 each will be appointed at Nashik, Pimpri Chinchwad, Thane, Kolhapur and others. Nagpur Municipal Corporation and Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporations have been directed to appoint 50 such personnel each.

Dr Mahendra Jagtap, state entomologist, told The Indian Express that intermittent rains and favourable climatic conditions were among the reasons for the rise in dengue and chikungunya cases this year.

In urban pockets there are several constructions where waterlogging is proving to be a breeding site for the Aedes Aegypti mosquito, which causes dengue and chikungunya, health officials said.

Data from the state health department showed that among the districts, Nagpur registered 1,016 dengue cases, Wardha (291), Satara (243), Pune (234), Chandrapur (212), Amravati (197), Yavatmal (196), Nashik (174).

In the municipal corporation areas, however, a total of 719 cases were registered in Nashik, 663 in Nagpur, 261 in Pune city, 250 in Mumbai, 230 in Solapur, 165 in Kolhapur and 157 in Chandrapur.

Pune and Nashik districts have also shown a rise in chikungunya cases with 301 and 192 cases reported respectively while in the corporation areas there are 538 cases in Nashik, 111 cases in Pune city and 88 cases in Kolhapur.