West Bengal Dengue Cases: Dengue cases have witnessed a steep rise in West Bengal. There are reports of hospitals across the state, both public and private, overflowing with dengue patients. An official in the state health department said that 800-900 cases are being reported on average daily. If this trend continues, then West Bengal would be at the top of the list among the states where dengue cases have been reported in just over a month.Also Read – Ganguly A Victim of 'Political Vendetta', Alleges TMC; BJP Calls It 'Baseless'
West Bengal had reported only 239 cases till August 31. In the 40-odd days since, the number of cases in the state has surpassed 20,000, the state health department admitted. Apart from Kolkata, most cases are from districts like North 24-Parganas, Howrah, Hooghly, Murshidabad, Siliguri, and Darjeeling, according to the figures released by the National Center for Vector Borne Diseases Control (NVBDCP). Also Read – 3 Locals Swept Away After High Tide in Hooghly Hits Nimtala Ghat in Kolkata, 2 Rescued
“Lack of proper sanitation, clogged drainage systems, accumulation of rain water due to unplanned urbanisation are some of the reasons behind this spurt. There has certainly been some negligence on the part of civic bodies entrusted with monitoring the situation and combating the threat. Sufficient intervention was not carried out and efforts weren’t made to prevent the accumulation of water near human settlements. The presence of cattle sheds, encroachments and the like in urban and semi-urban areas added to the mess,” the official in the state health department said. Also Read – VIDEO: CM Mamata Banerjee Shakes A Leg With Artists During Durga Puja Carnival | WATCH
There was hardly any activity by the civic bodies over the last fortnight due to Durga Puja celebrations across the state. State government offices — including civic bodies — have remained closed since October 1 and will open from Monday. Health officials hope that measures will be taken on a war-footing thereafter to prevent further spread as hospitals have started running out of space, despite opening temporary wards for the dengue patients.