Gurugram: Dengue cases are showing no signs of ebbing in Gurugram, with health officials on high alert in light of the rising deaths from the disease in neighbouring districts and the tally of cases in Gurugram itself now rising to 203. This is the highest number of dengue cases reported in the city in at least six years.

What has been an even more worrying trend is that 185 of these cases have been reported in just the last 20 days. Even as there have been no deaths reported in Gurugram this year so far, health officials continue to remain vigilant as in neighbouring areas, deaths due to the disease continue to be reported.

In Nuh — just 50 kilometres from Gurugram city — there have been 12 deaths that have been reportedly due to dengue in the last two months. Recently, two deaths of girls aged seven years and twenty-three years were reported from Ferozepur Jhirka. The deadly strain doing the rounds in South Haryana towns such as Palwal, Hathin and Hodal in September was enough to create fear among residents in Gurugram.

Places in Gurugram where dengue cases are being detected in large numbers are Sector-67, DLF Phase-4, Rajiv Nagar Bhondsi and Gandhi Nagar and new sectors of Gurugram along the Dwarka Expressway.

Gurugram in 2015 had reported over 425 dengue cases that had resulted in 10 deaths. In 2016, Gurugram reported 96 cases and reported five deaths due to the disease. In 2019, there were 56 cases of dengue and no deaths reported. In 2018, one death was again reported from the disease with a tally of 70 detected cases.

With cases of COVID-19 also being reported in substantial numbers, the spurt in vector borne diseases has only increased the challenges for health officials of Gurugram. Alarmed by a massive spike in the number of dengue cases in Gurugram, the Gurugram District Administration has assured that fogging activities will be ramped up across the city.

In the councillors’ meeting of Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) that was held on October 11, the lack of fogging in certain areas resulting in a rise in the number of dengue cases was prominently raised by elected municipal councillors.

With Gurugram having received more than normal rainfall this year much like several other parts of the country, elected civic body officials also highlighted how poor sewage facilities were resulting in stagnant water — in turn leading to mosquito breeding.