Permanent Lok Adalat orders clean-up as Panchkula residents cite dengue threat

The Permanent Lok Adalat for public utility services has directed the district administration, the Municipal Corporation, the HSVP, the Health Department and the Forest Department, Panchkula, to ensure immediate cleaning in Sector 25.

The direction comes on a petition filed by area residents stating that lack of cleanliness in the area posed a threat of dengue fever.

In the petition of Bimal Rai Goyal and others vs HSVP and others, it was stated that the authorities concerned were negligent toward sanitation, cleanliness and public health infrastructure in their area. They said they had contacted the MC on their own, but failed to get a positive response and required action in this regard. As such, they had to knock the doors of the Permanent Lok Adalat.

• The number of dengue cases in Panchkula district had increased to 1,028, with 15-18 cases being reported daily.
• Twenty-five new cases were recorded on Friday. Nearly half of the total cases surfaced in the sector areas of Panchkula.
• Apart from this, the areas falling under the Community Health Centre of Old Panchkula, Surajpur and Pinjore witnessed high cases of dengue.

The petitioners, Bimal Rai, Nitesh Mittal and Mohit Gupta, all residents of Sector 25, stated that their family members had contracted dengue fever primarily caused due to unchecked mosquito breeding, stagnant water and poor hygiene in the area.

While the green belt adjoining the NH 73 fell under the Forest Department, parks, road berms, and drains were under the jurisdiction of the MC while vacant plots came under the HSVP, Panchkula.

The petitioners said the green belt had wild growth, while unallotted plots of the HSVP had become a breeding ground for mosquitoes due to lack of maintenance.

Mittal pointed out, “We informed the Permanent Lok Adalat that we had requested the civic body to carry out fogging in the area, but the office responded that it could not resolve our complaint without requisite directions from the Health Department.”

They demanded immediate cleaning of the green belt, roadsides and vacant plots, regular maintenance of open areas in Sector 25, and requisite action against officials responsible for cleanliness in the area.

The Permanent Lok Adalat directed the four departments as well as the district administration to rid the area of stagnant water and wild grass, and submit a report on October 25.