With Delhi struggling to check dengue and chikungunia diseases, the National Green Tribunal has expressed unhappiness over government buildings in the city like Haryana Bhawan becoming a breeding ground for mosquitoes and directed cleaning of its premises.
The green panel said it is really a matter of surprise that such a prominent building like Haryana Bhawan has not been cleaned and is causing a great health hazard and adverse impact on environment.
"We direct the Resident Commissioner of Haryana to ensure that the entire Bhawan is mosquitoes free and waste deposits are not to be kept in any part of the building. This should be done immediately," the bench said.
Earlier, the NGT had said that rickety old buses lying abandoned at Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) depots here were a breeding ground for mosquitoes, leading to a rise in dengue and chikungunya cases.
The NGT had earlier said vector-borne diseases such as dengue and chikungunya had started spreading in the city and the steps taken by the authorities to contain the menace were a "mere formality".
The bench had then appointed 12 local commissioners to inspect different spots in the city under each municipal corporation and report to it about the problems on the ground.
The tribunal had also hit out at the Delhi government, civic bodies and other public authorities for making "unbelievable" claims and "vague statements" regarding steps taken to tackle dengue, chikungunya and other diseases.
It had said the right to a clean and decent environment and public health was a fundamental right and financial limitations should not come in the way of providing good health and environment to the people.
The bench was hearing a petition by a former scientist of the Central Pollution Control Board, Mahendra Pandey, for issuance of directions and setting up of committees to implement "precautionary, preventive and curative actions" to ensure that the residents of Delhi were not exposed to disease.
The plea had also sought direction to authorities not to undertake outdoor thermal fogging to control dengue, alleging it caused air pollution.
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