Salem: In a startling development, the Salem municipal corporation officials slapped a hefty fine amount of Rs 24.25 lakh on Sunday on various private institutions for serious public health violations following day-long inspection of dengue-control measures in the steel town.
The penalty targets included a hospital that turned a blind eye to snakes in its potable water tank and two private spinning mills for not keeping their premises clean and tidy.
The officials’ team led by commissioner R. Satheesh conducted surprise inspections at Shanmuga Hospital in Asthampatty and were shocked to find snakes creeping inside a water tank, which is used for supplying drinking water for patients.
Officials also found that the hospital administration had dumped bio-medical waste in its premises without following guidelines to dispose them safely and a nearby sewer had not been constructed with adequate safety measures to drain out waste water. Larvae of ‘aedes mosquitoes’, which cause dengue, were also found in the water stagnating in the dumped goods and water containers in the premises, sources told DC.
After taking note of all the irregularities and lack of mosquitoes control measures, the Salem corporation commissioner slapped a fine of Rs 10 lakh on Shanmugha hospital administration. A similar inspection at Saraswathi Hospital in Asthampatty revealed even worse unhygienic surroundings.
Speaking about the anti-dengue drive, corporation commissioner R Satheesh said, “plastic buckets, water tanks, coconut shells and dumped tyres were found with larvae of dengue-causing mosquitoes. The (Saraswathi) hospital has been imposed a fine amount of ' four lakh for not maintaining cleanliness and for making its premises a breeding ground for mosquitoes.”
The corporation officials, who inspected various places here, also slapped a fine of Rs 25,000 on a tea shop at Ramakrishna Nagar and Rs five lakh each on two private spinning mills at Kamarajar Colony and Thathampatt respectively. The total fine charged today on erring establishments came to Rs 24.25 lakh at the end of a day-long inspection as part of the dengue prevention measures in Salem.
Officials also warned of severe action against several others for not implementing mosquito control measures in the premises of houses and commercial establishments.
