Urban News

The Maharashtra Urban Development department has instructed the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation to include a clause in permission the civic body grants for repair and construction activity, to allow inspection of stagnant water at the sites.

The decision comes as malaria and dengue cases are being reported in Central Mumbai.

The decision to issue specific instructions and introduce the clauses was taken in a meeting called by Minister for Public Health, Suresh Shetty last week.

Shetty, alarmed by 192 deaths in Mumbai due to dengue and malaria in the last few months, called an urgent meeting of health and urban development departments in the Mantralaya. Health officials blamed large construction sites in areas of Sion-Sewri, Parel, Worli, Andheri, Vile Parle, Kurla, and Kalina for the rising malaria cases.

Urban Development department officials said BMC commissioner Swadheen Kshatriya has been informed to direct all construction sites to prevent stagnation of water on the premises, where mosquitoes can breed.

“We have told the BMC that when they give permission for a building, there has to be a check on water stagnation and maintenance of hygiene. Developers and builders have to be responsible and maintain cleanliness,” said TC Benjamin, principal secretary, UDD.

UDD officials said the developers have to ensure there is no stagnation of water at construction sites which lead to growth of malaria larvae.

The state has been registering over 67,000 malaria cases every year since 2007. Of the total cases registered, around 38 per cent were in Mumbai in the last two years. In 2007, a total of 67,850 cases were registered in the state of which 25,403 were from Mumbai. Mumbai had 26,021 of the total 67,333 malaria cases reported in 2008.