50% posts vacant, MC struggles to tackle mosquito menace

Even as Delhi enters the peak of the monsoon season — typically accompanied by a spike in mosquito-borne illnesses — the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) appears ill-prepared to address the looming public health threat. Official data presented in the Standing Committee reveals that nearly 50 per cent of sanctioned posts in the MCD’s malaria control division remain vacant, severely hampering disease surveillance and vector control efforts on the ground.

While the MCD continues to claim that anti-malaria operations are underway, implementation at the field level appears to be faltering due to a critical shortage of supervisory and frontline staff. The corporation’s Public Health Department says it has intensified mosquito-breeding checks this season, but the manpower crunch remains a major obstacle to effective action.

Data submitted to the committee paints a concerning picture. Of the 150 sanctioned posts for malaria inspectors, only 58 are filled, leaving 92 posts vacant. The situation is worse for assistant malaria inspectors — of the 600 sanctioned positions, only 209 are filled (55 regular and 154 contractual), while 391 remain vacant. The shortfall extends to multi-tasking staff as well, with 279 vacancies reported.

Among supervisory positions, the gap remains stark. Of 12 sanctioned posts for entomologists, scientists who study insects and their public health impact, only four are filled by regular employees, five are on contract and three positions are vacant. Similarly, of the 12 sanctioned posts for epidemiologists, only five are occupied, leaving seven vacant.

At present, the only categories with fully staffed positions are municipal health officers (1), additional MHOs (3) and deputy health officers (16).

Meanwhile, the rising number of vector-borne disease cases is triggering political and public concern. Senior corporation councillor and Indraprastha Vikas Party (IVP) leader Mukesh Goyal sounded the alarm over increasing cases of malaria, dengue and chikungunya.

He said, “As of July 12, Delhi has reported 101 cases of malaria, 246 of dengue and 17 of chikungunya — marking a significant spike compared to the same period in previous years. In 2023, only 26 malaria cases were recorded by this time, 21 in 2022 and 13 in 2021.”

Earlier this month, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta had also convened a high-level meeting at the Delhi Secretariat and instructed senior officials from the MCD, Delhi Jal Board (DJB) and the Health Department to begin fogging operations ahead of schedule. Emphasising the next two months as crucial, she directed a coordinated response involving awareness campaigns, surveillance and early containment.

Delhi