Dengue threat: Chennai Corporation warns of fines for water stagnation

“The dengue-related activities have started at full pace. Apart from regular field activities, the cooperation from the public is of paramount importance, particularly in large establishments and construction sites. In order to enforce discipline and to ensure the safety of citizens, particularly children who are more vulnerable to dengue, the fine has been reinstituted. Our field teams will start implementing it with full vigour,” said a senior Corporation official.

The decision to impose fines has come in the wake of dengue cases being reported in the civic body’s fever camps for COVID-19 screening. The fine varies from Rs 100 to Rs 10 lakh depending on the type of premises and repeated offence.

For individual houses, first a notice would be issued and then Rs 100 and Rs 200 would be slapped as fine for subsequent offence. In case of apartments, the first offence would attract Rs 500 fine and a second and third offence would lead the levy of Rs 5,000 and Rs 15,000. Two-star and above hotels, hospitals with over 50 beds and construction sites measuring 5000 square feet and above would attract a fine of Rs 1 lakh for the first offence while the second and the third offence will lead to fine of Rs 5 lakh and Rs 10 lakh.

Recently, 3,400 malaria workers were shifted from COVID duty to vector prevention work across the city. Corporation Commissioner G Prakash has ordered assistant engineers to identify owners of empty plots and buildings, and issue them notices as mosquitoes may likely be breeding in such places. He has also asked the domestic breeding checkers to submit detailed ward level reports on how many houses were vulnerable and prone to have stagnant water or water stored in pots where mosquitoes could possibly breed. Apart from this, the civic body would also begin fogging and spraying larvicide in vulnerable places.