Dengue stings 3 of family in Shiv Sena chief’s backyard

MUMBAI: You would’ve thought that the Shiv Sena chief’s backyard would be an unlikely spot for breeding of the dengue-causing mosquitoe. Yet, three members of the Harshe family living in Kalanagar, where party chief Uddhav Thackeray resides, have tested positive for dengue.
Residents of Sahitya Sahawas Society, Sunil Harshe (42), his father Mohan (69) and mother Madhvi (68) recently tested positive for dengue in quick succession.
Shiv Sena, which is the ruling party in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation or BMC, is responsible for control of monsoon illnesses.
Sunil’s wife, Uma, said they have always taken utmost care. “Civic employees scanned our house for breeding spots but failed to find any. They found one outside our building,” said Uma, adding that many dengue cases were reported in the area last year.
As news of the Harshes spread in the locality, it sparked panic among residents who took the matter up with the civic body.
Residents of the locality said they now hesitate to step out without applying anti-mosquito bite cream. Senior citizen Vasanti Phadke said that the area is plagued with the dengue menace every year. “Can’t they take the cleanliness drive more seriously rather than merely making a noise about it?” said Phadke.
Bhadresh Kamdar, who lives in Jade Gardens nearby, said that complaints of water-logging on roads made to BMC fell on deaf ears. “Construction in the area causes water-logging, making it a fertile mosquito-breeding ground,” said Kamdar.
The fear of dengue is such that residents now prefer to get tested after noticing the slightest trace of any dengue-like symptom. Dr Shrikant Shimpi, who practises in the neighbourhood, said that dengue cases being reported from the area has triggered panic. “We do get cases with symptoms which are common with dengue. After examination, we refer such suspected cases to hospitals.”
Guru Nanak Hospital located in the area received 45 suspected cases—most of them from housing societies around—in June this year.
The problem in the area has made civic chief Ajoy Mehta seek a report on the issue. A senior civic official admitted that dengue cases had gone up after the first spell of heavy rains. “Several pockets of the city, including Bandra (east) have reported dengue cases,” said this official.