Amid rising cases, Delhi’s dengue control workers’ union threatens strike from July 31

PTI

New Delhi, July 22

A union of municipal workers, who are at the forefront of the fight against vector-borne diseases in Delhi, have called an indefinite strike from July 31 if their demands are not met.

Delhi Mayor Shelly Oberoi, however, has assured that their demands will be looked into.

Highest surge since 2018

• More than 160 dengue cases have been reported in the Capital till mid-July, the highest for this period since 2018, according to a municipal report released this week
• The report issued by the MCD also said 54 cases of malaria have been recorded in the same period

There are about 3,000 dengue breeding checking (DBC) workers in the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) and 2,000 field workers.

The strike by DBC workers under the banner of Anti-Malaria Ekta Karmachari Union could spell trouble for Delhi as there is a threat of rise in cases of dengue and other vector-borne diseases due to early monsoon rains and recent flooding in parts of Delhi owing to increase in water levels of the Yamuna.

“We have recently served the notice on the MCD via its mayor and commissioner, saying our members will go on an indefinite strike from July 31 if our long-pending demands are not met,” Devanand Sharma, union’s president, said on Saturday.

The union has about 2,800 DBC workers, as well as several field workers, as its members, he said.

“We were hired in 1996 when Delhi had faced a massive dengue outbreak with over 10,200 cases and more than 420 deaths, the worst outbreak on record for Delhi. And, later in 2006, we were given the tag of DBC workers. Our demand has been regularisation of our jobs, and MCD authorities are accepting it,” Sharma said.

He also claimed that only one CL (casual leave) a month is given to a DBC worker and workload is too much. There’s no health cover and after the death of an employee, no support is provided to the family members.

“We also want that a job be given to the next of kin if a DBC worker dies. We also need health cards. We understand our role in combating dengue and malaria, but no one cares how much we are suffering,” Sharma said.

He said copies of the strike notice had also been sent to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Lt Governor VK Saxena.

In 2015 too, the city had witnessed a massive dengue outbreak, with the number of cases crossing 10,600 in October. It was Delhi’s worst dengue outbreak since 1996. Dengue is transmitted by the bite of aedes aegypti that breeds in containers with clear and stagnant water.

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