Bengaluru: As rains bring respite to the parched city of Bengaluru, dengue fever has been on the rise.
From 2 January to 20 August, there were 4,807 reported cases of dengue in the city, which faces problems such as uncleared garbage and uncovered water storage and more recently, intermittent rains.
The state has so far reported a total of 6,374 cases, taking the total to over 11,181 cases (including Bengaluru) since January, according to Dr. B.G. Prakash Kumar, deputy director at the National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme (NVBDCP).
According to the state health department, the epidemic occurs usually from April to November and during the pre- and post-monsoon periods.
The main cause of Dengue, according to the health department, is due to large scale breeding of Aedes Egypti mosquitoes in domestic and peri-domestic situations in water storage containers like cement water tanks, barrels, tyres, and such other containers which are usually not emptied for a long time in addition to discarded materials like coconut shells, tyres, plastic materials which collect rain water.
However, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP)—the city’s civic body—says that the percentage of dengue cases in Bengaluru in ratio with the population continues to be on the lower side.
Dr. M.N. Lokesh, chief health officer (public health) at the civic body, says that the higher numbers just shows higher reporting and better surveillance and not necessarily a rise in cases.
But there is no actual way to compare as the BBMP have started collating data from public and private hospitals only from this year. The only statistics available from last year, according to Lokesh, are the ones submitted to the National Institute of Virology (NIV) and only those reported from government run establishments.
The disease has claimed the lives of at least five people this year, data shows.
Adding to the troubles is the rise of other such communicable diseases like chikungunya, which like dengue, has been on the rise.
The state has reported around 1,400 cases of chikungunya from January till 28 August, data shows. Dr. Kumar says that the department has been actively pursuing efforts of source reduction and awareness programmes across the state.
But private citizens paint another picture.
Meenakshi Bharat, an environmentalist and medical practitioner, says that the BBMP does not have the capability or the ability to deal with the problem. “Dumping of garbage is a big problem as rain water accumulates there. The mosquitoes will find the water and breed within two days,” she says.
Bengaluru produces over 4,000 metric tonnes of garbage with most of it lying on roads. Dengue cases have been on the rise for at least a decade now and the civic authorities are still not able to reduce breeding grounds.
