Delhi residents fear diseases may spread soon

The sanitation workers’ strike in the last one year has caused a lot of inconvenience to the city residents. Heaps of garbage on the roads have become a regular sight for locals especially for those living in east Delhi. The garbage dumps outside most homes have led to an alarming rise in dengue, malaria, and viral fever, affecting the overall health condition of the national capital.

“The stink emanating from garbage has made it difficult for us to even walk in the area. The corporation should understand the sensitivity of the issue and address it. The piled-up garbage can spread many diseases, and result in a pest situation,” said BS Vohra, president of east Delhi RWA’s Joint Front Federation.

Doctors and public health officials have sent out a warning that Delhi could soon be hit by an epidemic if there is any more delay in tackling the situation. According to doctors, decayed household waste items, containing mostly solid waste like half-eaten vegetables and meat products, may give rise to bacterial illnesses such as typhoid and jaundice that spread through contaminated food and water.

 “This is the time of the year when water-borne diseases like malaria and typhoid are on the rise. Young kids are susceptible to such diseases. All precautionary measures must be taken by parents. We advise all our patients to maintain good hygiene levels,” said Dr SP  Byotra, department of internal medicine, Sir Ganga Ram hospital.

Recently, the Delhi High Court also pulled up the authorities for the ongoing health crisis in the Capital. A bench of Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice C Hari Shankar said the failure to remove garbage and clean the dhalaos (dumps) have major repercussions. It results in breeding of disease-bearing mosquito larvae leading to serious diseases like dengue and chikungunya. “Safai karamcharis shall ensure that they seriously carry out the assigned duties of MCDs and no obstruction shall be caused. There can be no stoppage of essential work of cleaning and removal of garbage. Doing so imperils lives of public at large,” the bench said.

During the hearing, central government standing counsel Monika Arora said that there were some safai karmacharis who were creating problems and refusing to discharge their duties, and also stopping others from doing work. Consequently, she said, garbage was accumulating on roads having an adverse impact on the health of the residents.

WHAT THE LAW SAYS

As per recommendations of the Third Delhi Finance Commission, the three municipalities must receive 10.5% of the amount from the city government collected through duties, toll and other taxes under the non-plan head. The grant is divided in three parts — 5% (education expenditure), 4% (routine assignments) and 1.5% (municipal reform funds). Under Article 243 of the Indian Constitution, if the municipalities are in financial distress then the state government has a responsibility to provide assistance. Corporations want the Fourth Finance Commission’s recommendations, which are pending since 2012, to be implemented. This will take the state government grant to Rs 8,000 crore.