Can’t control dengue, pay Rs 50 lakh: Telangana HC

Hyderabad: The Telangana High Court on Thursday said if the government failed to control dengue, it should pay Rs 50 lakh compensation to the families of those who died of the disease.
The High Court pulled up the state authorities for their failure to control the mosquito menace, resulting in people dying of dengue and other mosquito-borne diseases.
A division bench comprising Chief Justice R.S. Chauhan and Justice A. Abhishek Reddy was not satisfied with the steps listed out by senior government officials on measures taken to control the mosquito menace.
On summons by the bench, Chief Secretary S.K. Joshi, Municipal Administration Secretary Aravind Kumar, Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) commissioner Lokesh Kumar and superintendent of government-run Fever Hospital Dr. Shankar appeared before the court on Thursday and briefed it on the steps taken.
The officials informed the court that municipal authorities identified 427 points prone to mosquito breeding and took the steps to check the menace.
The court, however, observed that the measures exist only on paper. It asked officials to visit Musi River in front of High Court building to see the situation for themselves.