New Delhi: More than 3,000 cases of dengue and one death due to the vector-borne disease have been recorded in the national capital in the past six months, according to official data shared by the MCD in the House on Tuesday (September 26). In the data shared in a written response, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) also said the number of cases recorded in September was the “highest” in the last four years. The civic body, however, did not share month-wise data.
This is the first time since August 5 when the MCD has shared official data on number of cases of dengue, malaria and chikungunya.
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The tally of dengue cases recorded in the national capital till August 5 had stood at 348, according to an MCD report released on August 7. The number of dengue cases reported in July stood at 121; 40 in June and 23 in May, the report showed.
The AAP-led MCD has not released weekly reports on dengue and other vector-borne diseases for the past several weeks.
Delhi saw flood-like situation in July due to unprecedented surge in water levels of Yamuna. The capital also witnessed high level of rainfall in September besides pre-monsoon rainfall.
In the written response to a short notice, official data was shared in the House on Tuesday, a senior official said.
BJP councillor and Leader of Opposition in House, Raja Iqbal Singh criticised the AAP-led MCD for not issuing data on dengue and alleged that official data was being “suppressed”.
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Soon, the MCD shared data in the House, copies of which were also distributed to the press.
Leader of House Mukesh Goyal said everyone knows what the BJP did in the last 15 years, and “data was shared in the House today”.
According to the data, shared financial year-wise, 3,013 cases of dengue and one fatality have been reported in 2023-24 so far.
The tally of dengue cases in previous financial years stood at — 4,469 (in 2022-23); 9,613 (in 2021-22); 1,072 (in 2020-21); and 2,036 (in 2019-20), according to the data.
The count of dengue deaths in previous financial years stood at — 9 (in 2022-23); 23 (in 2021-22); 1 (in 2020-21); and 2 (in 2019-20), according to the data.
The number of case of malaria and chinkungunya since April 1 till date this year stood at 294 and 23 respectively.
The tally of malaria cases in previous financial years stood at — 263 (in 2022-23); 167 (in 2021-22); 228 (in 2020-21); and 713 (in 2019-20), according to the data.
Goyal, responding to BJP’s allegation, said, “Is there a shortage of plasma for dengue patients? Are people not able to get access to medical facilities in hospitals?” “All our officers and workers were busy with preparations for the G20, so, data may not have been gathered then,” he claimed.
A senior MCD official sought to attribute the high number of cases to flood-like situation in July due to unprecedented surge in water levels of Yamuna and high level of rainfall.
Also Read: Dengue Updates: Haridwar Reports Close To 250 Dengue Cases, Jharkhand’s Tally Nears 1,000
(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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