Press Trust Of India
Cuttack, July 25: The war of words over dengue menace between small industrial units and the state government continues unabated even as the worsening dengue situation in Cuttack district do not show any sign of improvement.
The number of dengue patients at SCB Medical College and Hospital here has crossed the 200 mark Monday.
While the district administration and local civic body squarely blame the unhygienic ambience in industrial estates as the reason behind the spread of dengue, the industrial units hold the government responsible for the poor sanitation and drainage systems of their estates located at Jagatpur and Khapuria areas of the city.
Condemning the recent decision of Cuttack Municipal Corporation (CMC) in threatening to close down “errant” industrial units on the ground of creating public nuisance, the members of Orissa Industrial Association (OIA) have retorted saying that they are prepared to down their shutters indefinitely in protest against the anti-industrial policy of the state government.
“The state government allowed several slums to come up in and around industrial estates and constantly neglected their drainage and sewerage systems because small industries do not pay holding taxes. The mosquito menace in the city has multiplied due to mushrooming of slums and the poor sanitation across the city,” alleged the OIA president Abani Kanungo while addressing a press conference here.
But on the other hand, paying a whirlwind visit to the city on the day, state health secretary Arti Ahuja lambasted the industrial units of the city for the present dengue situation.
“The premises of industrial units have turned into mosquito harvesting centres,” Ahuja commented saying the accumulated stagnant water on these premises are full of mosquito larvae.
