Bhopal:
Bhopal is in the grip of the worst dengue outbreak it has seen in the last five years.
Three people have died and 290 have tested positive for this life threatening disease in the past 10 months alone. Of these, 40 cases have been reported in the last five days.
Among those affected at the dengue ward in Bhopal's JP Government Hospital is 50-year old tea stall owner Manohar Singh Chouhan. His lives in Sankhedi area of Kolar, one of the worst affected areas.
For the last 8 days dengue has crippled his life as he has not been able to open his tea stall. Whatever savings he had is now exhausted in paying for the treatment of his wife and two children, all of whom are suffering from dengue.
"My wife continues to be sick but is at home as we have no money left to get her admitted too. Apart from me my two children are admitted...The area that I live in is very dirty as the local body responsible for maintaining cleanliness shows up once in 15-30 days," says Manohar.
Close to 85 dengue cases have been reported from Kolar in the last two months. The other affected areas include TT Nagar and Shahpura.
"Kolar is a challenge for us as till a few days ago it was not in our municipal limits...it was included about 10 days ago. The local body has been very effective in maintaining cleanliness and checking dengue. We are now trying our best to improve the situation," Collector Nishat Warwade told NDTV, adding that, "awareness is being spread through vehicles with announcement systems and imposing fine on those who have stagnant pool of water near their homes."
Last year, Bhopal reported 168 dengue cases. This year, the number has almost doubled.
"Dengue mosquito is infected with virus so it is infected throughout their life and even the larvae is infected. So whatever infected mosquitoes we have presently will multiply that's why its spreads widely. We should not panic as in every case is not fatal," says Superintendent of JP Hospital Dr Veena Sinha.