Battling Dengue, Malaria: India BMC to spend Rs 42.72 cr

To eliminate dengue and malaria from the city, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) will spend Rs 42.72 crore on pesticides. For containment of dengue and malaria breading, pyrethrum extract will be used. The 'organic pesticide' costs Rs 1,940 for one liter, and the civic body will need 2.18 lakh litres, at a total cost of Rs 42.29 crore. According to the proposal tabled and approved by Standing Committee, the contractor should supply pesticides three times in a year and the supplied pesticides by the contractor are to be checked every time. However, if the contractor fails to performed his duty properly, he will be penalised with 20 per cent of the total purchase amount of pesticides, and will be blacklisted for three years if pulled up a second time.

Meanwhile, the Public Health Department of the BMC has stated that in August, 2,317 cases of dengue-like illness were registered at the city's hospitals, in comparison to 995 probable cases of dengue-like illness registered in July and 297 cases in June.

From September 1 to September 16, a total of 22,322 cases of dengue-like illness were recorded at various hospitals in the city. In September last year, 3721 cases of dengue were recorded.