Coronavirus / 42.33L people in Mumbai living in 751 containment zones: BMC

Mumbai: Even as Mumbai, one of the worst affected city in the country is showing higher recovery rate and lower growth rate of the infection, close to 35-40% of the city’s population is currently under containment zones and sealed buildings as of July 9. A recent data shared by the BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has revealed that number of sealed buildings in the city has increased by 722 between June 29 and July 9

The data also shows that a total of 42.33 lakh people in are living in 751 containment zones and more 9.77 lakh are residing in 6597 sealed buildings as of July 9. This means, out of the city’s 1.25 crore population, over 52 lakh people are in containment zones and sealed buildings.

According to the BMC, the city has over 23,000 active Covid-19 cases, of which more than 60 per cent cases are from congested areas like slums and chawls.

Containment zones (CZ) are defined as areas where a significant number of positive cases have been detected, after which the civic body implements movement restrictions and stringent containment measures in these areas. In June the civic body changed the criteria with on congested areas are put under containment zones. Buildings with one or two cases have been put in the sealed buildings list under which only a floor where a positive case is found can be sealed.

Currently, four wards have the highest number of CZs which includes L ward (Kurla, Sakinaka) with total of 94 CZs, followed by M/E ward (Govandi Deonar) and S ward (Bhandup, Powai) with 74 CZs each and T ward (Mulund, Nahur) with 62 containment zones. Meanwhile, in sealed building R/ C ward (Borivali west) tops the list with 793 sealed buildings, K/E (Andheri E, Jogeshwari) with 789 sealed buildings, R/S ward, T ward (Mulund, Nahur) with 560 sealed buildings and (Kandivali, Charkop) with 535 sealed buildings.

“Slums and chawls are our focus areas in majority of wards as growth rate of infection in these congested areas are rapid. They live in close proximity with each other, hundreds used single toilet block. Data shows that nearly 60 to 65 per cent of cases are in containment zones; however the trend also seems to be changing gradually as recovery rate in slums is better now while the number of cases are now rising in non-slum localities and residential buildings. We have started many initiatives including sero-survey, chase the virus, chase the patients and even Mission Zero," said a senior BMC official.