As dengue cases continue to grip urban areas, the situation in the north of Maharashtra seems to have worsened. With a high number of cases being reported on a daily basis, Jalgaon has recently turned into an epicentre for dengue. Instead of implementing damage-control methods on his home turf, BJP Minister Girish Mahajan has been in the limelight for passing sexist remarks when he said that liquor brands should be named after women to up sales.
According to local doctors, in the last 15 days, three students — Tejas Naik, Jitendra Badgujar, and Yeshita Bundele died due to dengue while more than 1,000 patients have been reported positive for dengue in Jalgaon city alone.
Kishor Raje Nimbalkar, collector and acting CEO of Jalgaon Municipal Corporation told DNA that only few dengue cases have been detected. Nimbalkar said, "People themselves are responsible for the epidemic. We had appealed them to keep their balcony space, coolers, plants among other spaces dry. Now, it has resulted in a breeding ground for mosquitos. Nevertheless, we are making efforts to curb this menace." Despite repeated calls, Girish Mahajan remained unavailable for comment.
"Most of the roads have heaps of garbage. The corporation does not clear the garbage regularly. Besides, the potholes are filled with either rainwater or drainage water. These spots are turning into breeding grounds for mosquitos," said Mohit Jain, a resident of Jalgaon.
Few days ago, ND Mahanor, a noted Marathi poet in Jalgaon alo suffered from dengue. Mahanor complained that piles of garbage near his residence were lying unattended. A senior BJP leader said, "Jalgaon Municipal Corporation is completely bankrupt, thanks to its local leadership. The corporation does not even have the money to pay the salary of its employees. The conservancy staffers are not also paid on time. This is causing a delay in garbage lifting and cleaning the nullahs. Here, people are more interested in politics than the actual good work. Now, people are suffering from it."
Sanjay Patil, another resident from Jalgaon said that the corporation needs to take corrective measures immediately. "The sewage lines are not cleaned on time. Most of them are choked and overflowing. No one is paying serious attention and most children are the victims,' said Patil.
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