Press Trust of India  |  New Delhi  Last Updated at September 18, 2018 19:05 IST

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Outdoor anti-mosquito fogging is ineffective and it just gives an impression to people that the government is doing something which is a false sense of security, the National Green Tribunal has said and ordered the authorities to check the sources of vector-borne diseases in the city.

A bench of NGT Chairperson Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel said steps should be taken by civic bodies to cover dumping sites with mud and disinfectants should be used.

"Chemical insecticides are required to be used to control adult mosquito breeding. However, outdoor sprays are not effective except to give an impression to people that the government is doing something which is a false sense of security. Instead, indoor spraying may be more effective," the NGT said.

The green panel said that after monitoring the matter for two years, it was of the opinion that further continuous monitoring is to be left to the statutory authorities consistent with the guidelines already issued, including the long term action plan.

"Accordingly, the proceedings are now closed with a direction that all preventive steps be strictly taken to check the sources of vector-borne diseases, including removing stagnant water and solid waste," the bench said.

The information of the persons accountable may be made available on the website of the municipal corporations concerned and the success stories of monitoring may also be displayed on the website.

"We also suggest that the authorities must continue their efforts for awareness of all concerned and also involve the public, including the institutions, through suitable programmes," it said.

The NGT had earlier said that vector-borne diseases like dengue and chikungunya have started spreading in the city and the steps taken by the authorities to contain the menace were "mere formality".

Unhappy with the situation, the bench had appointed 12 local commissioners to inspect different places in the city under each municipal corporation and report it about the problem persisting on the ground.

The tribunal had earlier hit out at the Delhi government, civic bodies and other public authorities for making "unbelievable" claims and "vague statements" regarding steps to tackle diseases such as dengue and chikungunya.

It had said the right to clean, decent environment and public health was a fundamental right and financial limitations should not come in the way of providing good health and environment to the people.

While issuing a slew of directions, the bench had constituted a Principal Committee headed by the Chief Secretary of the Delhi government and comprising commissioners of all corporations, vice chairman of DDA, head of the Cantonment Board, New Delhi Municipal Council, Principal Secretary of Health and Director General of Health Services as members to deal with the menace of these vector-borne diseases.

The bench was hearing a petition by former scientist of Central Pollution Control Board Mahendra Pandey for issuance of directions and setting up of committees to implement precautionary, preventive and curative actions to ensure that the residents of Delhi are not exposed to dengue, chikungunya and other allied diseases.

The plea had also sought direction to authorities not to undertake outdoor thermal fogging to control dengue, alleging it was anti-environment and caused air pollution.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

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