The recent spell of rain and the ensuing waterlogging has turned vacant plots across Noida into mosquito-breeding grounds.
Though Amit Mohan, CEO of Noida Authority, has directed the health department to start a month-long fogging drive in residential and industrial sectors, the whole endeavour remains a lip service.
The ground reality, residents allege, is far from the picture drawn by civic authorities.
Every year, Noida Authority draws up a city-wide schedule for fogging. It is done for a few days and the whole exercise stops after that, complain hapless residents.
Fogging is yet to be carried out in most areas of the city.
Rajeev Garg, RWA secretary of Sector 27, Noida, told City Spidey, “Authority-appointed workers carry out fogging on a bicycle — that’s hardly insufficient. There have been reports of chikungunya, malaria and dengue. Fogging should be done at least twice a week, but that’s not happening.”
Sukriti Mishra, a resident of Sector 50, said, “I know seven people who are suffering from high fever in the last one month. Noida Authority should clean the drains and conduct fogging in parks and market areas.”
When City Spidey contacted SK Gupta, project engineer of Noida Authority, he said fogging is being carried out in every sector. “We have six big fogging machines and 14 small ones — and the health department draws up a daily schedule based on availability. Security guards of the sectors and officials of the health department oversee the entire process,” he added.
But here’s what we need an answer for: Can cash-rich Noida Authority make do with just 20 fogging machines for a city whose population has already gone well beyond six lakhs?