Suspected dengue, malaria cases reported in Thane school; probe underway

NEW DELHI: Several suspected cases of dengue and malaria among students and teachers of a school in Maharashtra's Thane city have come to light, prompting the civic authorities to launch an inquiry into the matter, an official said on Tuesday. Some parents have blamed the ongoing construction work in the private school premises for the health problems among their wards and teachers.

Maharashtra Navnirman Sena's (MNS) youth wing, in a letter to the Thane Municipal Corporation's education department, on Monday claimed more than 45 students and at least five teachers of the school were suffering from mosquito-borne illnesses. The MNS called for the school to suspend all classes until the health risks were addressed.

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TMC's education officer Kamalkant Mehtre said a probe has been launched into the matter. "An inquiry is going on. We will take the necessary steps on a priority basis," Mehtre said. A group of parents, in a letter to the school management, has demanded pest control and fumigation in and around the educational campus to eliminate mosquito breeding grounds, which they believe have flourished amid the construction debris.

They have also demanded immediate installation of new, durable nets along with chemical-free mosquito-trapping devices and additional fans in the classrooms to improve ventilation.