The Times of India            10.11.2010

Cleanliness drive a mere eyewash

 LUCKNOW: Even as five more fever deaths were reported in the city in the last 24 hours, taking the toll to 80 this season, a reality check has revealed that the compliance of the high court order on cleaning the city on war footing and anti-mosquito fogging is not taking place. Though the Lucknow Municipal Corporation (LMC) claims putting in all the resources for the cleaning drive, a visit to various parts of the city showed that the drive is confined only to Old City and VIP areas.

Though hospitals' records show that the dengue cases are on the decline, the chikungunya cases are rising. Chikungunya too is a mosquito-borne disease. Though the death rate has come down, officials said most of the occurring now are of patients who got the infection earlier. Since the viruses causing dengue and other mosquito-borne diseases subdue with the drop in temperatures, the advent of winter will bring down the cases drastically in coming days. However, patients complain that while the tests conducted in government hospitals deny dengue or chikungunya, those conducted at SGPGIMS or CSMMU confirm that a large number of people are infected by viruses. Even the tests done by a Central government team on various samples collected in the city have confirmed dengue and chikungunya.

Most of the deaths have been reported from Khadra. But the health department officials said none of the deaths was due to dengue or mosquito-borne diseases. While one Maiku Lal (70) died due to brain haemorrhage, Sundar Lal (60), Fagu (60) and Munna (21) died following vomiting and diarrhoea. All the four persons had also consumed alcohol. Rampal (50) died due to fever at Balrampur hospital. Chief medical officer Dr AK Shukla said that most of deaths so far have been of men over 20 years of age. "Only 20% deceased were women and children, which shows that the cause of death was not fever or mosquito-borne disease alone," he added.

Additional municipal commissioner PK Srivastava said the drive slowed down as many employees were on leave due to Diwali. "But we have taken it up again," he added. On Tuesday, the LMC drive was carried in all the six zones in the city, particularly in slums and interior localities. Officials admitted that though dug up roads have hampered the exercise but said it will pick up in coming days. To meet the shortage of staff, LMC has decided to rope in private firms and hire sweepers for the exercise.

However, a quick survey revealed that no fogging or cleaning exercise has been done in over three dozen localities in the city including Mahanagar, Mahanagar extension, Aliganj, A and B blocks in Indiranagar, Gomtinagar, Aashiana, Rajajipuram, Naka Hindola, Charbagh, Aminabad and Rana Pratap Marg.