In what is turning out to be a nightmare for the health authorities, 15 more persons tested positive for coronavirus in Mumbai’s Dharavi on Sunday, taking the total number of infected cases to 43 in Asia’s largest slum.
Of the 15 new infected persons, nine have been quarantined at the Rajiv Gandhi Sports Complex. “All these nine cases are high-risks contacts of Social Nagar patient who died at KEM Hospital and those who tested positive in Madina Nagar. Four new positive cases have been reported in Shastri Nagar, while two persons have tested positive in Janata Cooperative Housing society,” a Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) official from G/North Ward in north central Mumbai said.
Of the new cases, two are women aged 20 and 24 years. The remaining 13 are male patients in the age group of 18 years and 66 years.
There have been four Covid-19 deaths in the most densely populated slum. Of the fatalities, two deaths have been reported from Dr Baliga Nagar, while one person succumbed to Covid-19 in Social Nagar. The remaining one death has been reported from Kalayanwadi.
The break-up of 43 infected cases reported so far included: Five cases from Dr Baliga Nagar, two cases from Vaibhav Apartments, nine cases from Mukund Nagar, two cases from Madina Nagar, five cases from Muslim Nagar, 6 cases from Social Nagar, four cases from Janata Housing Society, two cases from Kalaynwadi and one case each from Dhanwada Chawl, PMGP colony, Murugan Chawl and Rajiv Gandhi chawl.
Not wanting to take any chances, health workers conducted door-to-door screening of all the Dharavi residents. Simultaneously, a team of local private doctors of Dharavi and BMC medical staff checked the temperature and enquired the residents about their travel history. Over 150 doctors, working under the auspices of Indian Medical Council and Maharashtra Medical Council, have been assisting the BMC in the screening drive.
The medical teams will report to the BMC on the number of persons who have shown symptoms for coronavirus. “All those who have symptoms are being kept in quarantine,” a BMC officer said.
Meanwhile, the Mumbai Police personnel are using drones to monitor the movement of people in the congested lanes of Dharavi.
In a related development, the police and health authorities are enforcing the lockdown measures strictly in Asia’s largest slum.
Following the total lockdown, the movement of people has come down drastically on the roads, while all shops and establishments, fruit/vegetable markets or vendors, hawkers, etc, have been shut down, barring medical stores in Dharavi.
On its part, the BMC authorities have identified 10 hotspots within Dharavi, which is spread over 240-hectare area, and are maintaining vigilance on matters relating to health in the area. There are 60,000 to 70,000 families (more three lakh people) in Dharavi.
Dharavi has several business units -- right from textiles to pottery to fabrication to leather industry. Plastic recycling and garbage segregation too is done here. Mainly a hub of cottage industries, it has an estimated 5,000 business entities and 15,000 single-room factories.