A large-scale awareness programme for school teachers and residents’ welfare associations (RWAs) on how to prevent the spread of vector-borne diseases during the monsoon was among the Delhi government’s events postponed due to the Bawana by-election on Wednesday, sources said.
While the model code of conduct was not applicable to all of Delhi, any announcements or programmes that could have an impact on the by-election were put off till after counting of votes on August 28. According to sources, the awareness programme was supposed to happen at Thyagaraj Stadium on Thursday but was cancelled owing to the model code of conduct.
On July 25, Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain had announced that the government was planning to launch a campaign to make people aware of how to prevent mosquito breeding and the spread of vector-borne diseases like dengue, malaria and chikungunya.
Other programmes
With the number of cases of these diseases racking up during the monsoon and expected to increase after the rainy season, preventing mosquitoes from breeding was the aim of the city-wide campaign. Mr. Jain had said the campaign would involve citizens instead of the usual programmes every monsoon that focus on advertisements alone.
According to a senior government officer, among other programmes postponed were distribution of 10,000 new auto-rickshaw permits, the announcement of a new Transport Department initiative for online tracking of vehicle registration certificates and inauguration of 1,200 toilets made by the Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board. The toilets were supposed to be inaugurated this week.
Government sources claimed Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot was initially scheduled to announce the Department’s new scheme, which would enable owners of new vehicles to track the status of registration certificates online before they were sent to their registered addresses by post for their convenience.