With the rise in mosquito-borne diseases, the High Court of Bombay at Goa has ordered public health authorities in Maharashtra to remove garbage on and ensure that water is not getting accumulated becoming a breeding ground for diseases spreading mosquitoes.
A division bench comprising chief justice Pradeep Nandrajog and juctice Mahesh Sonak stated, "The Goa Public Health Act envisages the authorities under the Act to issue directions to municipalities and panchayats in the state of Goa to ensure that garbage does not accumulate; cesspools are removed and measures taken to eradicate mosquitoes... the statutory duties cast upon the authorities have to be complied with…”
The order was issued in reply to a PIL filed by a resident of Panaji Atchut Dhond. In his PIL, Dhond highlighted the menace of mosquitoes resulting in spike of dengue and malaria cases, The Times of India reported.
The report said that advocate Rui Gomes Pereire, representing the petitioner, informed the court that dengue has claimed lives in the region. He added that water accumulating in drains and garbage heaps are responsible for the breeding of mosquitoes causing dengue (Aedes aegypti), adding that the government is responsible for this.
The petition stated that dengue has claimed lives of people in Vasco and there are other who are infected with the mosquito-borne diseases at Dona Paula, Mapusa, Canacona and Margao. Curchoren and Cacoda have also reported malaria cases.
Though the directorate of health services and the state government claim they have been toiling hard to prevent the spread of mosquito-borne diseases, the petitioner stated that just holding meetings of health authorities and fogging a few localities are not adequate to help curb the prevent of dengue and malaria.
The petitioner added that previous petitions filed in the court relating to garbage have not produced satisfactory as well as desired results. He further said no signs were visible in terms with cleanliness, sanitation and hygiene in Panaji under the ‘Smart City’ programme, for which a substantial amount of public funds has been spent.