Advocate seeks BMC’s answers for 200 deaths

Mumbai: In light of the blame game being played by BMC owing to two leptospirosis deaths in the city, advocate Umesh Mohite, who is appearing in a PIL filed by former corporator Dhananjay Pisal said he will ask the court to hear the petition on an urgent basis. Mohite said that the case had not been heard since October 2016, and BMC had not complied with the court’s directions given at the last hearing.

Speaking about the petition, Mohite said that the 20 deaths in 2015 due to leptospirosis and H1N1 had prompted Pisal to file a PIL to highlight BMC’s lethargy and inefficiency in dealing with diseases that were curable. “The court had directed the BMC to ensure that people contracting water-borne ailments get proper and timely treatment by installing screening machines in hospitals across the city and to conduct awareness campaigns and start help lines to address people’s concerns,” he said.

Mohite further said that after the hearing, BMC did nothing about it as a result of which, seven deaths occurred in the city this year. “The case had been listed for hearing on numerous occasions but did not come up for hearing due to one reason or the other. I will, however, be mentioning the same on Friday to ensure that the case is heard,” he said.