Hot spot Govandi getting better?

AFTER DHARAVI While BMC data shows dip in doubling rate, daily cases; experts say info on crucial parameters is not out

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MAHARASHTRA (27 deaths) (19 deaths) (28 deaths) (14 deaths) (11 deaths) (19 deaths) (14 deaths) (10 deaths) (1 death) (13 deaths) (12 deaths)

MUMBAI: After Dharavi, Mumbai’s second largest slum belt Govandi-mankhurd is showing show signs of improvement in the fight against Covid-19.

M-east ward, which includes slum pockets of Deonar, Govandi, Baiganwadi, Shivaji Nagar and Cheetah Camp and Deonar dumping ground, is spread across an area of 32.50sqkm. The total population of the ward is 8,06,433, of which 6,85,468 lives in slums. As of Thursday, the doubling rate of Covid-19 cases in these areas reached 68 days, compared to the city’s 41 days. The doubling rate is the amount of time required for the cases to double. The average daily infected cases reported in M-east ward have come down from 80-90 cases in May-end to 15-20 cases in the past one week, according to data from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). However, experts remain sceptical, claiming BMC has not released crucial data to determine if the situation on ground has improved.

In the second week of May, M-east had the highest number of Covid cases, Govandi being a hot spot. Almost 70% of the cases reported in M-east were from Govandi, mainly from Baiganwadi, Shivaji Nagar, Limouni Baug and Natvar Parek compound. The ward has now come down to the 13th position among the city’s 24 administrative wards. The total Covid cases in M-east stand at 3,154, of which 1,732 patients have been discharged.

The growth rate of cases in Govandi and Mankhurd has also come down to 1%, while the city’s average growth rate is 1.72%. Officials from the ward confirmed the number of daily cases started to decrease from the first week of June.

Sudhanshu Dwivedi, assistant municipal commissioner of M-east ward, said, “Earlier, if there were 70 cases in the ward, 50 were found in Govandi alone. Now, if there are 30 cases, less than five cases are from Govandi. Over 7, 000 households are screened everyday at the 15 health posts. At least 50-55 people are tested daily in the ward.”

Dwivedi explained that they formed 46 local leaders in all containment zones, calling them ‘containment observers’. “These observers tell us if anyone in their area needs immediate medical help, toilets are not sanitised or social distancing is not followed. This helped us tackle the situation. We also focused on quarantining more people from slums who use community toilets,” he said. The ward has 46 containment zones and over 70 sealed buildings. Arun Kumar, CEO of NGO Apnalaya which works with communities in Shivajinagar slum clusters of Govandi, said, “There are a couple of things we need to determine if the situation has improved. Firstly, have we increased the number of testings in wards like M-east whose more than 50% population lives in slums? Is there a behavioral change among residents towards social distancing norms? BMC needs to release data based on these points in order to back their claims of improvement.” Kumar, however, agreed that the number of beds, ventilators and ICU beds have increased as per BMC’S data.

The other hot spots of Dharavi and Worli, too, have shown improvement. The doubling rate in G-north (Dharavi) and G-south (Worli) is 57 days. The growth rate of cases in these two wards is 1.2%. While Worli witnessed a decline in numbers from mid-may, the numbers in Dharavi started plunging from June 1. As of Thursday, the total

(5 deaths) (8 deaths) (1 death) (3 deaths) (3 deaths) (4 deaths)

cases reported in G-north is 4,967 and G-south is 3,758. Dharavi reported 19 new cases on Thursday, taking the total to 2,301.

On Thursday, Mumbai reported 1,554 Covid-19 cases, bringing the total to 80,699. New 58 deaths brought the toll to 4,689. Of the 58 deaths, four were below 40 years of age, 34 above 60 years, and 19 patients between 40 and 60 years.

As per BMC’S data, 5, 903 patients recovered and were discharged on Thursday, the highest so far.

A total of 50,694 patients have been treated and discharged by now. The recovery rate in Mumbai has now gone up to 63%. The number of Covid tests conducted till Wednesday is 3.39 lakh.

On Wednesday, 6,044 tests were conducted in Mumbai, highest in a single day so far.

MUMBAI: Shahida Shaikh, a resident of Goregaon’s Bhagat Singh Nagar, has been unemployed for more than three months after the lockdown was imposed. Four of the five homes where she used to work as domestic help asked her not to come to work until the Covid-19 outbreak is over.

Currently, she has resumed work only at one home, for which she will be paid a monthly salary of ₹1,200. Her 20-year old son used to work at a garage, but owing to the lockdown, it is currently shut. The mother and son are struggling to manage meals even twice a day. Shaikh also suffers from a liver ailment and is finding it difficult to arrange for medicines.

“Not only Shaikh, but thousands of domestic helps in the city are struggling for survival. Only 4-5% of them have been paid for April, while none of them have been paid after that. Many lost their jobs. Some of them are now selling vada pav, vegetables or eggs, but not without disruptions from the authorities,” said Babli Rawat, general secretary, National Federation of Domestic Workers.

As per estimates, more than 25 lakh people work as domestic helps in the state.

While the state said housing societies cannot prevent the entry of domestic helps, most residents are not keen to rehire them owing to the fear of the virus.

Experts say the state’s apathy has made the situation more challenging, as the welfare board for domestic helps constituted a decade ago is defunct and the welfare schemes remain only on paper. Activists now demand the resumption of schemes and urge the state to tweak the Domestic Workers Welfare Board Act to ensure welfare benefits to house helps.

Vilas Borade, general secretary of Vidarbha Molkarin Sanghatana, a state-based organisation for house helps, said, “As there are no schemes in operation, the members are not willing to pay their annual fees to keep their membership valid. The state should allot ₹10 crore every year to keep the schemes going.”

According to a senior official from the development commissioner of labour (unorganised labour), the number of members registered with the Maharashtra Domestic Welfare Board dropped to 1 lakh. The official said 12,000 members were paid ₹10,000 each as Sanman Dhan. Most other insurance schemes covering accidental deaths and disability were linked to Life Insurance Corporation’s (LIC’S) Janashree Yojana, but the state has not paid its premium as it wants to link it to Centrally-sponsored schemes.

Activists, however, rejected the claim, stating the money has not disbursed in the past six years.

Development commissioner (unorganised labour) Pankaj Kumar said, “We proposed to extend Prime Minister Jeevan Jyoti and Prime Minister Suraksha Bima Yojana insurance schemes after the state’s Janashree Yojana was discontinued. We are awaiting the government’s nod now.”