Patiala, Nov. 22 -- Punjab is witnessing a sharp rise in chikungunya cases even as allegations of dengue underreporting persist, placing health officials under mounting pressure. The sudden spike in the mosquito-borne infection has emerged as a major public health concern.

According to Punjab health department data accessed by HT, the state has already recorded over 495 chikungunya cases, marking the second-worst outbreak since 2017. Last year, Punjab reported only 224 cases.

In 2017, the state logged 201 cases, followed by 25 in 2018. The numbers fell to 19 in 2019, and no cases were reported in 2020. However, the count rose again with 144 cases in 2021, 469 in 2022, and a significant jump to 2,072 cases in 2023.

This year, Sangrur is...