Amid a rise in coronavirus cases in Dharavi, Maharashtra education minister Varsha Gaikwad said that it needs a special plan to cope with the COVID-19 pandemic.
While talking to The Hindu, Varsha Gaikwad, who represents Dharavi said, "Dharavi needs a special plan. I have written to the Chief Minister suggesting that we reduce the number of people staying in Dharavi, after which the crisis management can be improved."
She also said that maintaining physical distancing is a great task as 80% of houses are less than 100 square feet. Dharavi, which is known as Asia's largest slum, has a population of 15 to 16 lakh, she claimed.
Varsha Gaikwad also said that she has demanded an IAS officer be designated for Dharavi. "Along with a special plan, I have also demanded that an IAS officer be designated for Dharavi to tackle this crisis. BMC officials are already overloaded with work. So we need someone for specific duties like coordinating the transfer of workers and food distribution, she told the Hindu.
46 new COVID-19 cases have been reported in the Dharavi area of Mumbai on Tuesday. With the new COVID-19 cases reported, the total number of positive cases in the area rise to 962. The COVID-19 death in the area increased to 31 after a person on Tuesday succumbed to the infection.
