Poor civic conditions fuel surge in dengue, malaria cases in Faridabad

The number of dengue and malaria cases in the district has surged almost threefold in the past two months. Anti-mosquito fogging is carried out in affected areas and hotspots. However, open drains, clogged sewage systems and poor cleanliness are primarily blamed for the spread of these diseases.

There have been 136 confirmed cases of dengue and 29 of malaria. However, the actual number of cases could be higher, as many go unreported. According to sources within the administration, private clinics and hospitals are often not submitting the necessary sample reports to the civil hospital.

Varun Sheokand, a Sector 9 resident, shared his concern about his 7-year-old son, who was recently diagnosed with dengue. He is unsure if the sample report was submitted to the health department. He also mentioned no fogging had been done in his area, even though it is standard practice to carry out fogging in areas with confirmed cases.

Since January, over 4,300 notices have been issued for detecting mosquito larvae. In addition, over 12,000 blood samples have been collected for dengue testing and over 203,000 slides have been prepared for fever-related cases as of October 31. The district reported only 10 dengue and 8 malaria cases in August. Last year, 193 cases of dengue and malaria were recorded.

Residents such as AK Gaur attribute the surge in diseases to poor civic conditions, such as the dumping of waste and garbage in open spaces along with the presence of open drains. Gaur stressed the lack of cleanliness drives has contributed to the rise in mosquito-borne diseases.

The number of Dengue cases in Gurugram has reached 186, according to health department officials. On Friday, 39 new samples were collected for dengue testing, bringing the total number of samples tested this season to 12,163. The authorities have also issued around 18,463 notices for detecting mosquito larvae in residential and commercial premises. In addition, the number of blood slides prepared for testing has risen to 223,498. To further combat the spread of the disease, the Rapid Fever Mass Survey team has covered 4,218 houses in

the district.

The malaria cell in-charge, Dr Ram Bhagat, said the health department has intensified efforts to combat the problem. The measures include sample collection, monitoring stagnant water in households and neighbourhoods and conducting fogging and chemical spraying in open water bodies.