Although the health department in the municipal corporations claims that the incidence of deadly falciparum malaria has come down in Navi Mumbai, private practitioners are reporting heavy incidence of the disease in the area.

As compared to 319 cases of falciparum malaria in 2000 and 250 in 2001 recorded by the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation's health department, the number of patients infected by Plasmodium falciparum stood at 186 so far in 2002.

According to NMMC Medical officer Dr Sanjay Pattiwar, cases of Plasmodium vivax incidence too showed a marginal fall from 734 to 724.

The total number of malaria cases recorded by the municipal authorities has come down from 1164 in 2000 to 981 in 2001 and 918 in 2002. The total number of blood samples tested showed an increase from 52,608 in 2001 to 62,313 in 2002.

The incidence of malaria is higher in CBD Belapur, Karave village, Nerul and Koparkhairne.