The Maha Vikas Aghadi government in Maharashtra headed by Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray is currently mulling over a crucial decision on suspending Mumbai’s lifeline, its local train services, post the first death due to Corona Virus reported in the city, reported Business Insider.
At present, Maharashtra has 38 positive Covid-19 patients and the desperate measures of ensuring the safety of the public come after the passing away of a 64-year-old man with a travel history to Dubai passed away at Mumbai’s quarantine center, Kasturba Hospital, today.
As one of the ‘social distancing’ measures heavily recommended by the government to prevent and contain the spread of Covid-19, the matter regarding the complete suspension of local train services is currently under discussion at the state cabinet meeting in a bid to help stop the spread from going to Phase III from Phase II by any means necessary.
The local train services in India are sprawled across the Central, Harbour and Western Lines ferrying over 8.50 million commuters to their destinations serving the Mumbai, Thane, Palghar and Raigad districts.
However, it isn’t just the local trains the government is considering suspending, but also the Mumbai Metro and Mono Rail for a few days till the transmission of the virus is contained. The move could potentially paralyze Mumbai, the country’s financial capital.
Health Minister Rajesh Tope who apprised the public of the decision said, “There are options — like fumigating all train coaches, limiting the number of commuters to the seats available in each bogey to avoid crowding also being considered other than completely stopping the local train services.”
The Maharashtra government has set aside a Rs. 45 crore fund for tackling the corona virus pandemic. This fund is to be distributed among the Divisional Commissioners at Konkan and Pune and Rs. 5 crore each from the fund is set to be disbursed to Nagpur, Amravati, Aurangabad and Nashik. Apart from ensuring the supply of hygienic and nutritious food, it is to be used to maintain the facilities at the quarantine centers like television sets, indoor games and for the purchase of emergency medical equipment like ventilators.
The Maharashtra state government has postponed all upcoming local bodies and civic elections by three months and ordered the shutdown of academic and educational institutions, both in urban and rural areas.
The Public Health Minister who also conducted a private meeting with 20 companies from the medicine, banking, executive and corporate sectors said that these companies through their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) fund will help provide masks, sanitizers, ventilators and isolation wards for those in need.
The Coronavirus has spread to 131 people in India and three people have lost their lives due it. World over, more than 7,000 people have died due to Covid-19. With quarantine and social distancing being seen as the only measures to contain the transmission of the virus before the vaccines come into play, it is to be seen if a bustling city like Mumbai is braced for a potential lockdown.
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