With nine more dengue cases surfacing in Pimpri-Chinchwad on Tuesday, the total number of persons bitten by the aedes egyptia mosquito have risen to 62 from October 1. In the same 21- day period, there have been 12 malaria cases reported from different parts of the town.

The nine dengue cases reported in a single day are the highest this year in the twin industrial town. The medical department of the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation says post-Monsoon dengue cases generally rise rapidly. Malaria cases, which stood at 67 like the dengue cases last month, have seen a sudden dip with only 12 cases. Since January 1, the total number of persons affected by malaria in Pimpri-Chinchwad stand at 321 while in the same period, 213 citizens have suffered from dengue. All these cases are only from eight PCMC-run hospitals and four major private hospitals. There are as many as 279 hospitals in Pimpri-Chinchwad, many of which do not provide any information to the civic administration. PCMC medical department concedes that the figure of dengue and malaria is much higher than what is available with them.

PCMC health officials are quick to blame the current rise of dengue cases to general apathy of citizens. "Despite our repeated appeals, citizens continue to store water in flower pots, vases, drums, buckets for more than four days. In industrial areas too you find tyres, tubes, drums, filled with water and lying for days on end," says PCMC medical director Rajshekhar Iyer. "We have been carrying out awareness campaigns at public places, schools, colleges, industries. Even advertisement on dengue have been issued on local cable channels," he says. Meanwhile, Dr Iyer reiterated that his department will soon issue notices to all the hospitals and laboratories to provide information to the civic administration about dengue and malaria cases. “I have just returned from Indore, give me time to breathe. We will soon act tough against hospitals, which do not keep us updated about dengue and malaria patients undergoing treatment with them,” he said. Under Bombay Nursing Act, it is mandatory for hospitals to provide details to the civic administration about patients treated by them. Civic activists allege that concerted effort is lacking from the PCMC administration in controlling dengue and malaria cases.