This Borivli complex is Mumbai's number one dengue death trap

The Yogi Nagar complex in Borivli PicSneha KharabeAs most headaches go this is a humungous one Yogi Nagar complex in Borivli West is a monstersized challenge the BMC is struggling with Housing more than 50odd buildings it has the highest number of dengue breeding spots anywhere in the city ndash 34 at last count June to September gtgtP05 Thatrsquos higher than whatrsquos typically found in any Mumbai slum officials from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation BMC have said While one resident Rekha Lodha died of dengue two weeks ago 16 people have been detected with suspected dengue After sending innumerable notices and taking three societies here to court the exasperated civic body has declared the complex a lsquohighrisk zonersquoThe BMC last inspected the area on September 15 when 42yearold Lodha from YogiSaraswati Cooperative Housing Society died of dengue They found a breeding spot in the water collected under flowerpots on the first floor14 notices sent The BMC has already issued 14 notices since June to the various societies in the complex under section 381B prohibition of mosquito breeding in collection of water on any land seeking an explanation Under section 382 of Mumbai Municipal Corporation MMC act fines of Rs5000 to Rs10000 will now be collected from the residents for not keeping the premises cleanWater collected under flower pots is among the biggest breeding spots for dengue mosquitoes says BMCHuge challengersquo A senior official from the insecticide department said The biggest challenge that the BMC faces is making societies aware of breeding spots People expect the BMC to fumigate and solve the problem They forget that the breeding spots are inside their own homesDuring their inspection the officials found that flower pots petri dishes empty tins and tarpaulins were high risk areas ldquoFlat owners are responsible for ensuring no water stagnates in hererdquo he saidSocietySpeak H N Parekh secretary of Yogi Saraswati building said ldquoWe had sent complaints about the mosquito menace to the BMC on December 15 last year But civic officials have done little to address our issues We have ensured that our society compounds and surroundings are kept clean But if mosquitoes are breeding in someonersquos house what are we to do Mosquitoes can come from nearby areas too and this the BMC has to look intordquoBMC says Civic officials have organised awareness drives and distributed handbills inside the complex When asked about the civic bodyrsquos action to prevent a dengue outbreak in the complex Insecticide Officer Rajan Naringrekar said ldquoOn August 9 we organised an awareness programme on tackling dengue at Yogi Nagar Welfare Association Hall We explained the dos and donrsquots Handbills were distributed to every flat Last July a similar drive was conducted But we have seen no improvement In fact the number of breeding spots has gone up from 21 to 34 We had to finally take stringent actionrdquoCivic officials said that dengue breeding spots across the city have been found mostly in highrises Of the 8946 breeding spots found till August this year 80 were in highrises they said Case StudyRekha LodhaWhy checks only after deathOn September 12 Rekha Lodha 42 succumbed to dengue related complications within a week of being detected She was admitted to Kokilaben Hospital on September 6 Rekha who is survived by her husband Jeetendra a son Raunak who is studying engineering and a daughter in Std 9 lived in the A wing of YogiSaraswati Cooperative SocietyRekhas husband Jeetendra Lodha with his son RaunakJeetendra a diamond broker is furious with the civic body for not doing enough to curb the outbreak ldquoIt was only after I lost my wife that the civic body fumigated our building Why do authorities wake up after therersquos a death I have lost a pillar of the family It will be a challenge to look after my children without Rekha I blame the civic officials Their checks are an eyewash Issuing notices to the buildings is just a superficial formalityrdquoHe added that there is an open ground to the west of the complex where water accumulates but he hasnrsquot seen fumigation done there ldquoBMCrsquos claim that the dengue breeding spot in the flower pot is responsible for Rekharsquos death is weak