COVID-19

Mumbai, they say, is the city that never sleeps. A good reason for that are the local train lines that connect distant places within the city and certain neighbouring districts as well. From 30 July, entry to the Mumbai suburban rail network will be regulated by a QR-based Electronic-pass system.Local trains were shut for 84-days until 15 June, owing to the lockdown to curtail the spread of COVID-19. After which, they began to function in some measure. Currently, the Central Railways and Western Railways of the Mumbai suburban rail network operate only 350 services each daily. These were allowed to…

[This article is part of the Bengaluru Moving series, in which citizens share their vision for BMTC post COVID. This series is pubished in collaboration with Radio Active's #BengaluruMoving campaign. In this first part of the series, a transport expert shares his ideas.] Before we look into ‘post-COVID’ Bengaluru, we need to look back at how our transport system was in pre-COVID Bengaluru. We were facing extreme growth in: Vehicular traffic (both in terms of number of vehicles and vehicle kilometers travelled) and congestion on city roadsTraffic accidents and fatalities, especially of vulnerable road users High levels of exhaust emissions including…

Chennaiites feel a slight sense of relief and hope, now that the number of COVID cases reported in the city has dipped considerably. However, the city will breathe easier when the mortality rate can be controlled. As on July 27th, a total of 2,032 patients had succumbed to the disease in Chennai. According to Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC), Chennai’s overall mortality rate is 2.12% as on July 27th, which is marginally lower than the national average of 2.25% on the same date. However, within the state, it remains the highest and has been a cause of concern for citizens and…

For asymptomatic and mildly symptomatic COVID-19 patients with varying degrees of deep pockets and a healthy aversion to hospitals, there’s an alternative: Many private hospitals and business-starved hotels have joined hands to make isolation not just palatable, but even a bit posh. The initiative comes at a rather grim time for the city: the pandemic rampages while a beleaguered infrastructure is struggling to keep up. The new treatment option, authorities hope, will free up precious healthcare resources for the truly needy. After months of bucking the national trend, especially in comparison with other Metros, COVID-19 positive cases in Bengaluru have…

An interview with Kiran Dighavkar, Assistant Municipal Commissioner of G-North Ward. He received acclaim from the WHO which cited Dharavi as an example in how to manage the fight against the virus. By the end of March, three positive COVID-19 cases were reported in a two day period in Dharavi, one of the largest slum clusters in Mumbai. Soon after, on April 1, the first death from the virus was reported when a 56-year-old resident of Baliga Nagar in Dharavi died. The person had no travel  history. Within eight days of the first death, as the city reported 320 positive…

Home quarantine is often not possible in low-income settlements. Pic: Raghav Indra The state government and BBMP have been prescribing preventive measures ever since COVID-19 cases started to be reported in Bengaluru. But for the city's low-income communities, these are nearly impossible to follow. For example, you can't wash your hands regularly if you don't have regular piped water supply, or practise social distancing in a densely-populated slum. As the city's health system is overwhelmed, those living in slums are left without basic support. Residents who had come in contact with COVID-positive persons are unable to even self-quarantine due to…

Translated by Sandhya Raju கோவிட் 19 தொற்றால் பொருளாதாரம் கடும் பாதிப்புக்கு உள்ளாகியுள்ளது. விற்பனையின்மை, இடம்பெயர் தொழிலாளர்கள் தங்கள் சொந்த ஊர்களுக்கு திரும்பியதால் ஏற்பட்டுள்ள தொழிலாளர் தட்டுப்பாடு போன்ற பல காரணங்களால், தொழில்கள் மூடுநிலைக்கு வந்துள்ளது. ஒவ்வொரு நெருக்கடியான தருணத்திலும் வாய்ப்புகள் உருவாகும் என்ற கூற்றின்படி இக்கட்டான இந்த சூழலில் கிருமிநாசினி தெளிப்பான் சேவைக்கான தேவை அதிகரித்துள்ளது. சமூக வலைத்தளத்தில் இதற்காக வரும் விளம்பரங்களே இதற்கு சாட்சி. புதிய வழிகள் சுகாதாரம் மற்றும் குடும்பநல அமைச்சகத்தின் அறிவுறுத்தலின்படி கோவிட்-19 தொற்று உள்ள நபரின் வீடு, கிருமி நாசினியால் சுத்தம் செய்யப்பட வேண்டும். இது சென்னை மாநகராட்சியின் பொறுப்பு என்றாலும், பணியாளர்கள் தட்டுப்பாடால் இப்பணி தாமதமாகிறது. இதனால் தனியார் சேவையை மக்கள் நாடும் நிலை எழுந்துள்ளது. இதன் விளைவாக ஒரு புதிய வர்த்தக வாய்ப்பு உருவாகியுள்ளது. பொது முடக்கத்தால், எம் கான் நடத்தி வந்த லெதர் தொழில் மூடும் நிலைக்கு வந்தது.…

In a press meet held on July 8th, TN CM Edappadi K. Palaniswami hinted that a further extension of the lockdown which is set to end at the end of the month is unlikely. The chief minister said, “Extending lockdown will cause economic slowdown thereby putting onus on the public to adhere to safety norms to prevent the spread of COVID-19.” He further emphasised the need for self-regulation among the general public even as the state continued to clock a high number of cases daily.  The fact however is that the premise of self-regulation by the public assumes that all…

Over 33,000 trees to be felled for PRR The BDA (Bangalore Development Authority) admits that the construction of the eight-lane PRR (Peripheral Ring Road) would require the felling of 33,838 trees. For about four years, BDA had argued that only 200 trees would be cut, based on an erroneous Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) report. The NGT (National Green Tribunal) rejected the report based on a submission by the Horticulture and Forest Department. Meanwhile, an EIA draft report estimates that 3,541 trees will be affected by the metro link between KR Puram and Kempegowda International Airport (KIA). The report says that…

They came. They saw. They left. The Central team that visited Gujarat on July 17-18th to assess the state’s response to the continuing surge in COVID-19 cases in Ahmedabad and Surat did just that, even as the Ahmedabad Medical Association (AMA), on July 17th, filed an SOS writ petition in the Gujarat High Court. The petition expressed serious concern over the low number of tests being conducted and on the state’s dilly-dallying on granting approval for more testing laboratories. The AMA also sought a direction that tests at the OPD level should be permitted. It was only on July 15th,…