In the middle of Delhi’s malaria-dengue-chikungunya season, civic staff at the frontlines of checking the breeding of mosquitoes in the capital have gone on strike. The incidence of malaria and chikungunya is at a five-year high this year.Since Monday (September 29) morning, Multi Tasking Staff of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), which includes Domestic [Mosquito] Breeding Checkers (DBC), have been sitting on an indefinite strike outside Gate No. 5 of the headquarters of the civic body.DBC staff go door-to-door to put checks on mosquito-breeding sites, spray insecticides, and raise public awareness about vector-borne diseases. Official sources in MCD’s health department said the workers’ strike can potentially disrupt ongoing operations.“This is irresponsible behaviour on the part of the workers,” an official said. “If needed, we will have to deploy additional workforce from the Horticulture and Engineering departments [to make up for their absence].”The striking DBC staff are seeking permanent status for workers, some of whom have now been working for decades, equal and standardised pay, medical and earned leaves, and jobs for family members of deceased employees.“We’re not machines, we too need a break, why don’t we get holidays? We have been working for 30 years now, saving people from getting diseases, but what about our safety?” Devanand Sharma, general secretary of the Anti-Malaria Ekta Karmachari Union, said.Ruby (34), who has been a Contractual Field Worker (CFW) carrying out fogging outside homes, around drains, and in public spaces since 2013, said that outside of the annual June-November Vector-borne Diseases (VBD) season, they are asked to work with the house-tax staff, and sometimes on election duty, etc.Story continues below this ad“We work all day and night during the vector-borne diseases season, but the pay is so low that I am not able to provide a good education to my children,” Ruby said.Sharma said the MCD has repeatedly broken promises to address the problems of the workers. “There are around 5,000 workers and we have been asking for our rights for many years now. The civic body says they will help, but then they close the files,” he said.Official sources said DBC workers and CFWs were given positions as Multi Tasking Staff in the Public Health Department two years ago, but these were never intended to be permanent positions.“They were hired on contractual basis on the Delhi government’s daily wage rate. If we give them extra work we provide compensatory leave. Eight compensatory leaves are available every year,” an official said.Story continues below this adAnother DBC worker complained of an unreasonably heavy workload. “Each one of us has a beat. It is required to cover 50 houses per day but during the (VBD) season, we are asked to thoroughly check at least 100 houses. How is that possible?“We are given JJ clusters as well, and the malaria inspector (MI) insists that we issue at least five challans per day, and threatens to sack us if we don’t. We want to get permanent jobs so that we can raise our voice,” the worker said.MCD officials said the workers’ demands are being examined. “There is a funds crunch in MCD, regularising the workers will require huge amounts of money, and it will take time. But we have been helping them,” said an official.