06 July,2011 06:19 AM IST | | Priyanka Vora
Day after MiD DAY report of trash mounted in the KEM hospital, BMC officials send legal notice threatening to take action if civic body's guidelines are ignored
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A day after MiD DAY exposed the heap of trash accumulated in the premises of KEM hospital, the BMC's insecticide department has sent a legal notice threatening to take action against the hospital for clearly flouting the civic body's dictate that 'no odd articles should be left in open spaces as they are potential breeding grounds for mosquitoes'.
The article titled, 'Trash piles up at KEM, flouting BMC's own norms' that appeared on Tuesday, reported, a trunk of odd articles that was discarded inside the KEM hospital premises.
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Earlier in April this year the BMC commissioner, Subodh Kumar held a meeting with all the major landholders; the Mumbai Port Trust (MbPT), National Textile Corporation (NTC), the army, the railways, and slum dwellers, clearly asking them to maintain a mosquito free environment by keeping the premises free of water stagnation and dumping of trash in open spaces.
After the meeting the civic body even conducted regular inspections at all the major sites of these landholders to check whether all such odd articles were removed and if leakages were plugged so that it did not lead to water stagnation.
Currently KEM hospital is under renovation, and has discarded old articles like wheel chairs, trolleys, cupboards, drawers and conveniently piled them in the hospital compound.
In June, the insecticide department of the civic body had threatened legal action against landholders who flouted its anti-malaria guidelines, but they conveniently forgot to inspect their very own KEM Hospital, which has been converted into a mini scrap yard.
Reacting to
MiD DAY's report, the civic body has sent a legal notice to KEM asking them to dispose off all the scrap articles kept in the premises. The notice threatens action, if the articles are not removed with immediate effect.
Senior officer of BMC insecticide dept asserted, "We have sent a notice to KEM hospital and expect them to get rid off all the articles kept in the premises as this a potential breeding ground for mosquitoes."
The Other Side
Dr Sanjay Oak, dean of KEM hospital, said, "There is a scrap disposal system in place and we are in the process of discarding the materials. I am not aware of any notice being given to KEM."
Law Says...
BMC can prosecute any authority, under the two provisions in the BMC Act. Sections 381 and 381(A) allows the civic body to prosecute any public body who allows water to stagnate or create fertile breeding grounds for mosquitoes.
