Delhi floods: Agencies now focused on tackling its aftermath, preventing a public health crisis

With water from inundated areas along the low-lying areas along the Yamuna gradually receding,

Delhi’s agencies are now focused on tackling its aftermath, and preventing a public health crisis.

The Delhi government has unveiled its action plan to prevent the spread of mosquito-borne diseases, which will involve the use of drones for surveillance and spraying of insecticides, awareness announcements in Delhi Metro premises, and a 24x7 control room to keep diseases under check.

Separately, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) in a statement said that its veterinary department has removed the carcasses of more than 500 animals from flood-affected areas over the last two days, and the civic body has deployed 10 mobile dispensaries to prevent the outbreak of water-borne diseases.

An official from MCD’s public health department said the civic body’s field teams have stepped up their efforts towards prevention of water-borne diseases like gastroenteritis, cholera, and typhoid, and vector-borne diseases like dengue, chikungunya, and malaria in the flood-affected areas.