Telangana HC slams KCR govt for failing to control mosquito menace

The Telangana High Court has slammed the Telangana government led by K Chandrasekhar Rao, warning it of some serious consequences for failing to control the mosquito-borne menace in the state. The cases of mosquito-borne diseases are shooting up in the state of Telangana. According to reports, the government is looking on the other side of the issue. Further reports stated that the High Court's bench comprising of Chief Justice Raghvendra Singh Chauhan and Justice A Abhishek Reddy called the government-furnished reports as ‘vague’ and ‘redundant’. A news publication reported that the Telangana HC is displeased with the measures taken up by the health department and Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC). The High Court has also asked the authorities to take all the necessary measures in order to tackle the crisis. 

What the bench said

According to reports, the statistics furnished by the health department and the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) stated that over 5,000 cases of dengue have been reported this month in just 22 days. This shows an increase of 200 percent. Reports stated that the bench said, "Why can’t the state government subsidize the cost of the ELISA test, which diagnoses dengue, so that every patient, irrespective of his financial position, can undergo this test?" Further, the bench has urged the government to either increase the number of laboratories or decrease the rate of the ELISA test. The Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) test is used to detect infections and anti-bodies. 

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Telangana HC takes up the matter

After the increasing number of cases, the Telangana High Court has taken over the matter. A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) was filed by M Karuna alleging that government is not taking any measures to prevent the spread of mosquito-borne diseases, especially dengue.  

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An increasing number of mosquito-borne diseases

According to reports, at least 900 cases of dengue were recorded in Telangana during the start of September. However, the worst-hit was Hyderabad with 210 cases. Further, government hospitals are falling short of beds for patients. Along with this, reports stated that some private hospitals have been refusing to admit people affected with the mosquito-borne diseases. Several places are breeding with mosquitoes as water is being accumulated, stated reports. 

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