Karnataka govt tells UDD, health department to implement disease control measures

The government has directed the Urban Development Department (UDD) to work together with the Health Department to stop the spreading of dengue, chikungunya, and other infectious diseases in Bengaluru.

It said in a circular that municipalities should take responsibility to drain stagnant water in vacant areas that turn into breeding grounds for mosquitoes and urban local bodies must enact their bylaws strictly.

Vacant sites, especially construction sites in cities, often have large puddles of water where mosquitoes breed, said Dr Mahamood Shariff, Deputy Director of the National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme, State Health Department. While ULBs (urban local bodies) report a large number of dengue cases this year, Bengaluru and Mangaluru are the only two cities with laws holding landowners responsible for clearing stagnant water, Dr Shariff said.

“Mangaluru has been issuing notices and levying penalties on site owners for the last five to six years to deal with cases of malaria,” he said. Ironically, Bengaluru has not been taking similar action despite having provisions in the BBMP Act, 2020.

Site owner can be pulled up

As per Section 283 of the BBMP Act, its chief commissioner can issue a notice to the site owner directing them to fill up, treat or drain off stagnant water in a prescribed manner.

Dr Trilok Chandra, BBMP Special Commissioner (Health), said they will start sending notices to repeat offenders. “Our focus is currently on surveillance and creating awareness. This is because aedes aegypti mosquitoes that cause dengue breed in freshwater puddles found everywhere, including households, and not just in construction sites,” he said.

Dr Shariff said urban local bodies other than Bengaluru and Mangaluru should create civic bylaws that hold site owners responsible.

The government circular also asks ULBs to control mosquito breeding such as stopping leakages from municipal water supply lines, better waste management to prevent water collecting in coconut shells, deploying more workers for surveillance, and creating awareness.

It also adds that ULBs should work with volunteer groups, NGOs and residents welfare associations to create awareness.

Dr Trilok Chandra said the BBMP is continuing with its preventive steps with 900 health workers and 1,000 ASHA workers.

"Bengaluru has only about one-fourth of ASHA workers in proportion to the population. Though we had sent proposals to the government to increase their sanctioned strength, this hasn't been approved yet," he said.

The state recorded 1,108 chikungunya cases this year till August 20. The cases are highest in Vijayapura (166), Kolar (134) and Hassan (107). The BBMP had reported only 10 cases.