One death busts many myths in south Kolkata high-rises

KOLKATA: The death of an elderly woman from dengue on Ballygunge Circular Road on Thursday has broken the silos that residents in these localities stay in to reveal more cases of dengue and malaria in the posh south Kolkata locality.
A few meters from The Residence, where dengue victim Sampat Devi Baid lived on the seventh floor, a teenager living on the third floor of Mousumi Apartment had suffered from dengue around a month ago.Locals said they had heard of stray dengue cases at other highrises in the neighbourhood from domestic helps but word rarely got out — as most residents here lead intensely private lives — until there was a death.
“If there are multiple cases of high fever or two-three cases of dengue in a north Kolkata locality or even places like Bhowanipore, Tollygunge or Bansdroni, word gets around even if there is no fatality. But here, one only gets to hear if the drivers or domestic helps discuss it. I have heard about cases of dengue and malaria but they rarely get discussed in the open,” said Rakesh Shaw, a driver at a flat in Saptaparni Apartments down the road.
Baid’s death has set the cat among pigeons. People have begun to open up following a chilling realisation that life can be vulnerable even in a high-end apartment equipped with modern security gadgets.
“We live on the eighth floor and used to feel safe. But no longer so. Though there haven’t been deaths in the building, I have heard several people in the neighbourhood have been suffering from dengue. All of them recovered. We are now using all sorts of repellants to ward off mosquitoes,” said Sudeshna Chatterjee, fashion designer and entrepreneur who lives on a Ballygunj Circular Road.
Oindrilla Dutt, a PR professional who lives in the neighbourhood, said the death had shaken people as one felt living higher up meant safety from mosquitoes and diseases they carry. “I reside on the 14th floor and we never bothered about mosquitoes all these years. But not any longer. One fatal bite from an infected mosquito can prove fatal,” she said.
At the end of the road at Ballygunge Phari is Alkapuri Apartments, which also houses a KMC guest house. At least three persons — resident Kinkini Bhattacharya and two guards — have had dengue this year but luckily, all recovered, said caretaker Anirban Dey. Another resident had also had a bout of malaria.
Debasish Bhattacharya, the treasurer of the society at Alkapuri, said the KMC mosquito control team visited the building sporadically. Ironically, the vector control office and malaria testing clinic is located next to Alkapuri.