The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) makeshift Phase-I COVID-19 care centre, which was constructed in fortnight at the Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC), has become a topic of debate after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) claimed that rainwater had leaked into the tents after Cyclone Nisarga hit the city. Following this, a Twitter war began between the ruling party and the opposition leaders.
BJP leader Mohit Kamboj through his official Twitter handle lambasted the Uddhav Thackeray-led government for using makeshift structures, mainly used for political gathering, to set up COVID-19 quarantine centre at BKC. He tweeted, "Every year, it rains Much Much More in Mumbai than Today! Today was Just A small Trailer and Cyclone Turned Away ! Is anyone ready to take responsibility for this hopeless structure which we use only for Public Meeting of Political Parties Used for Covid Hospital ! What an Idea!" In the next tweet, he also claimed that to raise the said structure, Rs 8,000 per square metre was spent.
After videos of BKC centre were circulated on social media, including Twitter, MMRDA came out with a statement resting all controversies. It tweeted, "After #CycloneNisarg, work restarts for second Covid facility at BKC. Nothing happened to Covid hospital 1 and 2 during Cyclone though as a matter of abundant precaution, patients were shifted." It also clarified that the portion claimed to be damaged is of Phase II, which is still under construction.
Interestingly, Minister Aditya Thackeray too, replied to MMRDA's tweet. He said, Phase 2 construction has already begun and Phase 1 is intact. Btw it was a cyclone, not just a gush of regular wind. Thank you @MMRDAOfficial for not even waiting for 24 hours to start work and serve the people!"
Meanwhile, MMRDA Commissioner RA Rajeev also released a statement. "The hospital is designed considering the weather conditions of Mumbai, shifting patients was only a precautionary measure. The structure is strong enough to bear wind speeds of up to 80km per hour. Since the speed was estimated higher than that, the decision was taken by the corporation. Now that it has withstood the cyclone, the facility shall certainly pull through the monsoon season. The patients will start returning soon."
According to the MMRDA, Phase I hospital is well equipped and out of 1,008 beds, 504 are non-oxygen facility beds, while the remaining 504 beds have oxygen facilities in the area of 235x40 meters. Groundwork for the construction of Phase II of the makeshift facility is also underway.
