Considering the rise in number of cases, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has modified its protocols for sealed building policies. According to the updated protocols, a building will be sealed entirely if ten or more cases are reported from the building from two or more floors.
The guideline also states that a building may be sealed partially, if in a building single or bulk cases are reported from a single home.
Meanwhile, for housing societies and residential organisation these set of rules hasn't played out well.
"There's no point in sealing the building completely now. Cases are bound to rise as people have started to go out now, sealing an entire building will often lead to inconvenience of other people" said Ramesh Raj Rajput, general secretary of a cooperative housing society in Kandivli.
Residents feel with unlock 4.0 most of the business entities and offices have started to function. Those who were working from home all these while, now have to go office. Thus if a building is sealed, it will lead further inconvenience for people.
"Now maids are entering buildings and door to door delivery has also resumed the chances of getting infected has risen. The state should have thought about this before relaxing the norms" stated Amit Singhal, Goregaon resident and co-founder of citizens group and NGO - 'Bambai ki Awaz'.
"People now has to go out for their bread and butter, if they seal the entire building more people may lose their jobs as they would be unable to report to work" Singhal added.
The residents also suggested, the civic body should have given a thought before shutting down most of the isolation centres.
"Instead of sealing the buildings, BMC should have shifted the infected to isolation centres this would be much safer. The sealed building policy was tried before also but it didn't solve anything rather gave rise to more problems" said Dr. Prakash Shinde, medical practitioner and a Anhderi resident.
