Mumbai: In order to curb the further spread of the coronavirus, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has started to keep a vigilant eye on the commercial districts of south Mumbai. The municipal wards A, B, and C covers the primary commercial zones Nariman Point, Marine Drive, Fort, Bhuleshwar and Dongri of Mumbai.
According to the ward officials, each of these wards records a floating population of 50 lakh per day due to which civic health officials are not putting their guard down because most of these people come here from suburban parts of the city.
Chanda Jadhav, Assistant Municipal Commissioner and in-charge of A ward (Nariman Point, Cuffe Parade, Marine Drive and Fort), said that as cases have started to rise, civic officials have already conducted raids in multiple locations in these areas.
“There are multiple gymkhanas and open grounds in A ward, many of these rent out their spaces for marriage and social gatherings. To keep a check on the crowd control, we have conducted multiple surprise raids in these venues,” Jadhav told FPJ.
She also mentioned that the local ward office is also keeping a close eye on the industrial estates to monitor that distancing policy and Covid protocols are followed inside the premises.
Chakrapani Alle, Assistant Municipal Commissioner and in-charge of B and C ward, said that being commercial zones, the market areas of Dongri, Mumbadevi, Masjid Bunder and Sandhurst Road remain heavily crowded during the day.
“The large floating population poses a challenge for us so we have identified a few commercial areas, where we have deployed a maximum number of marshals to keep a check on the flouters,” Alle told FPJ.
“We are also arranging testing camps at the industrial estates,” he added.
Presently there are 79 buildings with sealed floors in A ward and seven buildings that have been entirely sealed by the BMC. Meanwhile, in C ward, there are 52 sealed floors and three buildings, that are being sealed entirely, while in B ward there are five sealed floors and no buildings that are sealed entirely.
Both Alle and Jadhav said that the cases that are being reported daily are mostly scattered and don't have any specific pattern.
“In my ward, there are no slum areas, the buildings from which cases are reported maximum have two to three cases in them,” said Alle.
