Chikungunya cases surge in Pali Hill; locals blame redevpt works
Mumbai: Bandra West's upscale Pali Hill locality is reporting an unusual surge in chikungunya cases with at least 28 patients from Dilip Kumar Lane alone, prompting BMC's H-West ward to launch a detailed pest control inspection on Tuesday. Residents have blamed the ongoing redevelopment works in the area for the spike in cases, citing the potential for mosquito breeding in stagnant water and debris from construction sites.
BMC's pest control team, which visited the area on Tuesday, checked the outdoors of at least seven buildings and confirmed the presence of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes. This species is responsible for spreading both dengue and chikungunya and breeds in stagnant fresh water. Interestingly, the team found a larger number of Anopheles mosquitoes, typically associated with malaria, though no malaria cases have been reported yet.
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A large-scale inspection and fogging drive is planned for Wednesday across the neighbourhood.
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Rajeev Kaushik, a resident of Summer Palace at Pali Hill, said, "We were alerted on our residents' WhatsApp group about a few cases of chikungunya. The watchman and househelps also complained, saying this was going on for days — but it took us time to realise the extent."
Blaming the ongoing redevelopment in the area, he added: "Builders must act responsibly and prevent mosquito breeding. If a project is worth crores, installing basic mosquito-control measures shouldn't be too much to ask."
Madhu Poplai of Pali Hill Residents Association (PHRA), said the matter came to her knowledge last weekend. "The area is undergoing tremendous redevelopment, and buildings adjoining the lane are also being redeveloped. We suspect that the breeding could be taking place at these sites. However, BMC officials have downplayed this concern, arguing that fresh water — necessary for Aedes breeding — is rarely found at redevelopment sites."
Sonu Chagti, a PHRA member who was also down with a bad case of chikungunya, said: "The redevelopment sites are not taking enough precautions, and we had to get the BMC to intervene."
Mumbai: Bandra West's upscale Pali Hill locality is reporting an unusual surge in chikungunya cases with at least 28 patients from Dilip Kumar Lane alone, prompting BMC's H-West ward to launch a detailed pest control inspection on Tuesday. Residents have blamed the ongoing redevelopment works in the area for the spike in cases, citing the potential for mosquito breeding in stagnant water and debris from construction sites.
BMC's pest control team, which visited the area on Tuesday, checked the outdoors of at least seven buildings and confirmed the presence of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes. This species is responsible for spreading both dengue and chikungunya and breeds in stagnant fresh water. Interestingly, the team found a larger number of Anopheles mosquitoes, typically associated with malaria, though no malaria cases have been reported yet.
A large-scale inspection and fogging drive is planned for Wednesday across the neighbourhood.
Rajeev Kaushik, a resident of Summer Palace at Pali Hill, said, "We were alerted on our residents' WhatsApp group about a few cases of chikungunya. The watchman and househelps also complained, saying this was going on for days — but it took us time to realise the extent."
Blaming the ongoing redevelopment in the area, he added: "Builders must act responsibly and prevent mosquito breeding. If a project is worth crores, installing basic mosquito-control measures shouldn't be too much to ask."
Madhu Poplai of Pali Hill Residents Association (PHRA), said the matter came to her knowledge last weekend. "The area is undergoing tremendous redevelopment, and buildings adjoining the lane are also being redeveloped. We suspect that the breeding could be taking place at these sites. However, BMC officials have downplayed this concern, arguing that fresh water — necessary for Aedes breeding — is rarely found at redevelopment sites."
Sonu Chagti, a PHRA member who was also down with a bad case of chikungunya, said: "The redevelopment sites are not taking enough precautions, and we had to get the BMC to intervene."
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