Dengue scare: Armymen to sanitise areas near Games Village

Amid concerns over the dengue outbreak in the capital ahead of Commonwealth Games, civic authorities have sought the help of army engineering personnel to prevent mosquito breeding near the athletes' village in New Delhi.

The Games Village is surrounded by pools of water from three sides, making it quite conducive for breeding of mosquitoes and the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) staff are finding it difficult to tackle the situation, officials said.

"The Army Corps of Engineering has the requisite experience, training and the necessary equipment. So, we have sought their help. They are most likely to start work near the Games Village from tomorrow," MCD public health committee chairman VK Monga said today.

The cases of the vector-borne disease has crossed 1,500 in the capital this season and the civic bodies are blaming incessant rains and stagnation of water at Games construction sites for the rapid increase in cases of dengue.

Over 20 participating nations has sought information from the Games organising committee about the dengue outbreak in New Delhi and steps being taken to combat it before the mega sporting event in early October.

Monga said the Village on the Yamuna river-bed in east Delhi was surrounded by water from three sides and it is 30-feet deep on one side with mud all over. "Due to rains, water is getting accumulated there making it conducive for breeding. MCD staff is using anti-larvae chemical but it is getting washed away due to heavy downpour," he said.

He said the army engineering men will drain out and shift the water into the river, fill the pit with soil and flatten it after which MCD staff will conduct fogging exercises and spray anti-larvae chemical. Similar exercise will be carried on all the sides to sanitise the surroundings of the Village which will house athletes and delegates during the Games.

"We were depending on the irrigation department for assisting us but they have expressed their inability. So, the army help has been sought," Monga said.

Monga had earlier said authorities are undertaking an exercise to spray a special chemical at all Games venues which will keep mosquitoes at bay for nearly three months.

The chemical -- synthetic pyrethroid -- will be sprayed on the walls of all rooms of the Games Village as well as other 21 sports or training venues in the city," he had said.

Officials have said athletes will also be given mosquito nets and repellents to keep dengue away. Dengue is spread by Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus mosquitoes and has a short incubation period -- usually two to seven days.