Karnataka Declares Dengue An Epidemic, To Fine House, Shop Owners

Karnataka, which is witnessing its worst dengue outbreak in a decade, has declared the disease an epidemic. As part of the measures, the state government will levy penalties if rules meant for the curtailment of mosquito breeding sites are not followed in houses, commercial establishments and construction sites.

The state has seen a surge in dengue cases with the number for this year crossing 24,500, which is nearly 5,000 more than the total number of cases reported for all of 2023. The fatalities have not been very high but sources said the government wanted to act before the number of deaths began to rise.

In a statement on Tuesday, the Karnataka government said it has notified dengue fever, including severe forms of dengue fever, as an epidemic disease in the state under the Karnataka Epidemic Diseases Act, 2020.

As part of the notification, the government said, "It shall be the duty of every owner, occupier, builder or other person in-charge of any land or building or any place including water tanks, parks, play-ground to take necessary measures to prevent breeding of mosquitoes therein."

The rules grant the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), which is the municipal corporation of Bengaluru, and the deputy commissioner of other districts the power to enter houses and other premises to inspect whether the rules for preventing mosquito breeding are being implemented.

If any lapses are found, the authorities can levy fines between Rs 400 and Rs 2,000. For houses not following rules, including letting water remain stagnant in flower pots, buckets or any area within the compound, the fine will be Rs 400 for urban areas and Rs 200 for rural areas.

Commercial establishments - including offices, educational institutions, hotels, resorts, shops, malls, cinema halls, puncture repair shops and plant nurseries - will have to pay fines of Rs 1,000 in urban areas and Rs 500 in rural areas.

Construction sites often have water accumulated in various areas - including puddles for mixing cement - and the highest fines have been reserved for them. The penalty is Rs 2,000 in urban areas and Rs 1,000 in rural parts of the state.

Dengue is a mosquito-borne viral infection caused by the dengue virus, transmitted primarily by female Aedes aegypti mosquitoes. Symptoms include high fever, severe headache, pain behind the eyes, joint and muscle pain, rash, and mild bleeding. Cases of dengue usually spike in the monsoon season.