Civic bodies asked to send dengue control workers for door-to-door checking of breeding of larvae: Bharadwaj

New Delhi: All civic bodies in Delhi have been asked to send dengue control workers door to door for checking of breeding of mosquito larvae in households, Health Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj said on Tuesday.

Delhi has reported 105 fresh dengue cases in the past week, taking the tally to nearly 350, according to a municipal corporation report issued on Monday.

"We have reserved five per cent of beds in hospitals (for dengue patients). We have told hospitals to make special arrangements for it. The MCD, Delhi Cantonment Board, NDMC (New Delhi Municipal Council) have been asked to send domestic breeding checkers door to door for checking of breeding (of larvae)," Bharadwaj told PTI Video.

The Delhi health minister, without naming anyone, said, "We are trying to raise awareness. However, the advertisement that we had told the department about, has not been released deliberately by it".

"I think this is also a conspiracy, so that awareness doesn't get raised among people, and they get afflicted and affected by it. Despite being told regularly, advertisements are not being issued in newspapers and on TVs. The 10 Hafte-10 Baje-10 Minute campaign is not being started again," he alleged.

Why are officials "doing conspiracy" and why "no action" is being taken against them, Bharadwaj claimed and said the "biggest harm" that has come to the people of Delhi due to the Delhi Services Bill, is this only.

The Delhi services bill secured parliamentary approval on Monday after the Rajya Sabha passed the contentious measure that will give the Centre control over bureaucracy in the national capital. Bharadwaj's remarks come amid mounting cases of dengue in the national capital.

The city recorded 243 cases of the vector-borne disease till July 28.

According to the latest report issued by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi, the tally was at 348 till August 5.

The report said 85 malaria cases were recorded in the January 1-August 5 period.

The number of dengue cases reported in July stood at 121, 40 in June and 23 in May.

All fresh 105 cases were recorded in the first five days of August.