Dengue: Hospitals, firms fined Rs 24 Lakh

After a series of inspections, the civic officials have slapped a fine amount of Rs 24.25 lakh on private institutions on Sunday. 

The inspection at Shanmuga Hospital, Asthampatty, shocked all as they found snakes in drinking water tanks. The hospital had dumped bio-medical waste not only in its premises but also in the canal nearby. Larvae of the Aedes mosquitoes were found in water stagnating in dumped plastic, medical waste and drinking water tank. 

Officials initially slapped a fine of Rs two lakh, but the hospital management resisted and failed to co-operate. The Corporation Commissioner R Satheesh, who reached the spot, then raised the amount to Rs 10 lakh. 

When Saraswathi Hospital in Asthampatty was inspected, its premises were also found to be unclean. “Plastic buckets, water tanks, coconut shells and unused tyres were found with dengue mosquito larvae. A fine of Rs 4 lakh has been slapped on the hospital” said the Corporation Commissioner. 

Similarly, a tea shop on Ramakrishna Road was fined Rs 25,000. Two private spinning mills at Kamarajar Colony and Thathampatty, which had Aedes mosquito larvae in drums, oil cans and other materials were fined Rs 5 lakh each.

The Corporation has so far collected a sum of Rs 24.25 lakh as fine through inspections in private establishments in a single day in Salem district. The Commissioner said that water connections have been snapped for 18 houses as dengue breeding mosquito larvae were found in their premises.