14 September,2023 07:02 AM IST | Mumbai | A Correspondent
There has been an uptick in dengue and malaria cases. Representation pic
The civic body has collected a little over Rs 19 lakh in fines since January after legal action was initiated against 1,242 entities that failed to follow pest control norms. Till August, the pest control department has issued 14,385 notices to a wide range of entities that failed to maintain their premises in mosquito-proof conditions.
Most of the cases are ongoing in metropolitan magistrates courts. "We issue notices to societies, commercial buildings, etc. If the work is not carried out in compliance with the norms after the notice, then the ward-level pest control department initiates a court case with the help of the ward-level law officer," said a pest control department official.
Predominantly, most of the court cases were initiated by the S ward, N ward, and G-South ward. "We have taken more than 100 entities to court for failing to prevent mosquito breeding sites even after initial notices. More than 70 of those were construction sites," an official from one of the wards said.
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After construction sites, there were also cases against businesses and residential buildings. "Most of these cases were initiated after June," the official said.
This year, the health department recorded a significant increase in dengue and malaria cases compared to previous years. In addition, the city had at least two confirmed cases of the Zika virus in August.
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So far in September, the city has reported 390 cases of malaria, 350 cases of dengue, and 10 cases of Chikungunya. The BMC's health department head Dr Daksha Shah also confirmed that most of the cases in court are against construction companies for violating norms even after receiving notices. "The fine goes to BMC's treasury," Dr Shah said.
Rs 19L
Amount collected by BMC in fines
