The Supreme Court on Wednesday posted for hearing on September 26 a writ petition filed by a doctor for a direction to the Centre and the Delhi government to take measures to control the spread of chi
The Supreme Court on Wednesday posted for hearing on September 26 a writ petition filed by a doctor for a direction to the Centre and the Delhi government to take measures to control the spread of chikungunya.
A Supreme Court Bench of Justices Anil R. Dave and L. Nageswara Rao posted the petition filed by Dr Anil Mittal, who wanted the Delhi and the Central government to be given instructions on how to deal with the crisis. When senior counsel Colin Gonsalvez, appearing for the petitioner, said “certain areas falling under the South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) have become garbage dumping grounds where mosquitoes are breeding”, the bench in a lighter vein asked the counsel whether mosquitoes have been made a party in the writ petition and this evoked laughter.
The PIL said chikungunya is a viral disease transmitted by infected mosquitoes, causing high fever and severe joint pain and it sought a direction that a panel of experts be set up to ascertain the steps taken to tackle diseases like chikungunya.
The senior lawyer referred to photographs, annexed with the PIL, showing heaps of garbage lying in residential areas of south Delhi and alleged that the SDMC was not rising to the occasion.
The doctor pointed out that over 2,600 chikungunya cases have been reported in the national capital till September 17 and the disease has caused 15 deaths so far.
