Over 75 per cent area under Worli-Koliwada, Mumbai’s first containment zone, has been de-contained by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) this week giving a much-deserved breather to the residents of the area. The decision to de-seal the area was taken after a meeting between police and BMC officials on Monday.
No new COVID-19 case has been reported from Worli-Koliwada, Jijamata Nagar, and Janata Colony for weeks now, indicating the strict restrictions imposed when they were declared containment zones two months ago, have worked. However, despite de-sealing of the area civic officials have appealed to the residents to strictly follow the lockdown rules and maintain physical distancing whenever they venture out for essential work.
Worli-Koliwada is a part of G (south) ward, which was till last month one among the city’s worst-affected municipal wards with multiple containment zones. But with the fishing village now regained health, its neighbouring localities -- Janata Nagar Colony and Jijamata Nagar – too got out of containment lockdown. About 80% of the patients in Worli Koliwada and Jijamata Nagar have recovered and discharged.
The two areas near Worli-Koliwada, the Koliwada itself and adjacent Janata Nagar slums were declared a containment zone on March 29, a day after four positive cases were detected in the two localities. Since none of the four had any travel history or contact with a COVID-19 positive person, the authorities acted quickly and turned the fishing village and Janata Nagar slum pocket into a containment zone – not allowing any resident to exit of the village, nor letting any unauthorized person inside.
Since the village was a containment zone, the cases of coronavirus infection were detected quickly, close contacts of these victims were traced easily and isolated immediately, and a wider spread was prevented and contained because the settlement was isolated from other parts of the ward.
"It proved to be a wise step then. Two days later, the number of infections within the village jumped to 12, and in just over a week number of cases touched 80. All roads leading to Worli Koliwada were closed. Stringent restrictions were imposed on residents to contain the spread and prevent any new cases. The results are now visible and at present, there is not a single COVID-19 case in over 75 per cent of Worli Koliwada and adjacent slum pockets. Hence, we decided to de-seal these areas," Assistant Municipal Commissioner of G (South) ward Sharad Ughade told the Free Press Journal.
While Worli-Koliwada is home to around 42,000 people, neighbouring Jijamata Nagar and Janata Nagar Colony slum pockets house another 35,000 people.
The de-containment process involved the removal of police barricades. While some small areas within the village will remain isolated, free movement has been restored. The BMC might not immediately allow fishermen to venture out into the ocean since opening of fish markets within the village will cause crowding. However, officers are cognizant of the very fact that this is often peak season before the onset of monsoon, and efforts are being made to permit fishing activity as soon as possible.
Ughade said, "It has been a very tough time for the residents as well as my team to ensure strict containment measures are followed no matter what. However, things started working in our favour. Following a meeting with the police on Monday, the decision to de-seal the areas was taken and police are gradually leaving their posts on the roads leading into Worli-Koliwada." As on June 1, G (South) ward has recorded 2,110 and around 999 people were cured and discharged as on Thursday last week.
