New Delhi:
Dengue remains one of the biggest concerns for the Commonwealth Games. With the Met department predicting more rains in the Capital, the body of stagnant water deposited right outside the Games Village is a breeding ground for mosquitoes and the authorities seem to be at a loss.
VK Monga, Health Officer with the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) says that, "Three sides of the Village are surrounded by the water coming in from the flood. After it recedes, I am sure there will be depressed areas in which this water will collect or some areas which will be inaccessible to us. In such situations, we have to tie up with other agencies to help clean up the area because we do not have the expertise to deal with it."
Jawaharlal Nehru stadium, venue of the opening and closing ceremonies, inspected by the PM recently is another breeding ground.
So far, 1788 dengue cases have been reported in Delhi and 72 new cases were reported on Sunday alone. South Delhi is worst hit with 287 cases of the disease.
Worrying as these numbers are, according to the World Health Organisation, the number of cases will go up by mid-October.
Experts say the government should have consulted doctors before finalising the time and venues for the commonwealth games.
Dr Bir Singh, HOD of Communicable diseases at AIIMS says, "Maybe in hindsight one can say 2010 and that too October was not the best time to hold an international event. Also it is not a good idea to have a Games Village on the banks of the Yamuna where there is a lot of breeding, especially in this season."
But despite the unprecedented number of cases, the government is optimistic that they will be able to clean up the mess before the athletes arrive.