Rising dengue cases: Court seeks concrete action plan from government

Hyderabad: The High Court division bench headed by Acting Chief Justice MS Ramachandra Rao and Justice T Vinod Kumar on Tuesday adjudicated a public interest litigation with regard rising seasonal diseases in the State

The bench read the reports filed by the Director, Public Health and Family Welfare and the Commissioner, Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation on the efforts made by the State to ensure that the seasonal diseases do not further spread during the rainy season and felt that the reports were vague as they didn't speak of any concrete plan of action formulated by the State to tackle the dengue and swine flu menace.

The court further directed the Advocate General BS Prasad, Amicus Curiae Niranjan Reddy and K Pawan Kumar, counsel for the petitioner to submit brief notes giving suggestions that can be enumerated in the order to be delivered by the court on September 29.

Petitioner's counsel informed the court that though the GHMC had taken up drone survey to identify the places where dengue cases were more, it was not sufficient to curb the menace because dengue could flourish even in freshwater, which is stagnated, and further informed the court that this month, the State had recorded 3,200 cases of dengue and last month 2,500.

The petitioner held that the Hyderabad city was surrounded by lakes and in view of incessant rains, there was all probability of rise in dengue cases and prayed the court to issue directions to the State government to take all necessary steps to curtail the dengue disease.

The Advocate General, meanwhile, informed the Bench that the State was taking all measures to curtail spread of dengue and other seasonal diseases, and further informed that the Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao reviewed the situation recently.

Acting CJ MS Ramchandra Rao, after hearing the contentions of the Advocate General, Amicus curiae Niranjan Reddy and petitioner's counsel observed, "I would like the State, counsel for petitioner and the Amicus to give concrete action plan so that it can be put in the order for implementation by the State. The officials should stop making general statements like fogging and drone survey, rather the bureaucrats should come up with concrete plan of action, which can be implemented to ensure that the menace of dengue is curtailed."

The Acting CJ further, turning towards Advocate General said, "The State should act in seriousness in eradicating dengue from the State because, if the cases increase, ultimately it will be the State, which will be under criticism and to avoid that, it should take appropriate measures to curtail it." The court adjourned that matter to September 29.