Indian Express 27.11.2009
Vector-borne diseases: AMC cracks down on builders
The Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) has in the recent past come down heavily on the builders who failed to prevent outbreak of vector-borne diseases at construction site.
Sources in the AMC said the city’s northwest and west zones and its peripheral areas, where maximum construction activities are going on, have been seeing a sporadic rise in dengue and malaria cases. The Health Department has so far issued at least 3,500 notices to construction supervisors at the sites and prosecuted 146 of them.
S P Kulkarni, medical officer, AMC, said, “In extreme circumstances, we have stalled construction in two areas.” He, however, refused to divulge the names of the areas, and said, “Despite being educated, people are not cautious and wake up only when an epidemic spreads.” The authority to fine construction supervisors rests with the AMC sanitary and site inspectors. A card has been prepared and given to the supervisors so that daily tabs can be kept on them, said Vijay Kohli, AMC entomologist.
“Sanitary and site inspectors visit the sites every week to check if the construction supervisors are removing the stagnant water bodies at the sites.
If the supervisors fail to do so, they are warned. And as an administrative authority, the AMC does the oiling and provide larvivorous fish.” hesaid.
He added that even after repetitive warnings, if the supervisors are negligent, a notice is issued, and in extreme cases, “the construction is ordered to be terminated.”
This year, we have collected Rs 4.31 lakh as fine and 146 cases are going on at the Metropolitan Court. All the construction supervisors are charged under provisions of the Bombay Provincial Municipal Corporation (BPMC) Act. The fine ranges between Rs 50 and Rs 50,000 depending upon the area of construction and the water bodies at the site,” he said.
