Sudhir Suryawanshi By

Express News Service

MUMBAI: The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has decided to conduct tests for 15 lakh residents of Asia’s largest slum Dharavi, to mitigate future danger and contain the spread of coronavirus.

Shiv Sena MP Rahul Shewale said that he spoke with BMC officials who have ensured to conduct door to door tests of people living in Dharavi.



'A team of private and BMC doctors will be made and they will make door to door visits. While in some locations, area clinic will be started and a primary coronavirus test will be done. We have to use the cluster policy to contain the spread of coronavirus,' Shewale said adding that in next 10 to 12 days, the screening and testing of Dharavi area will be done.



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Dharavi is Asia’s largest slum with over 15 lakh population living in 625 hectares of land at the heart of Mumbai. More than 15 coronavirus patients were detected in Dharavi out of which three people died.

Maharashtra health minister Rajesh Tope said that in the highly populated localities like Dharavi, drones will be used to disinfect the localities. He also said that in these localities the common toilets have been used that has been infected and cleaned regularly by the fire brigade.



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Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray also decided to put extra force in Mumbai. He appointed two additional IAS officials Ashwini Bhide and N Ramahwami for the coordination and expediting the machinery.



Moreover, Manisha Mhaiskar, another IAS officer who worked earlier as the additional municipal commission and handled the health department was asked to assist the BMC chief, Pravin Pardeshi, in containing the coronavirus pandemic in various pockets of Mumbai.

In Mumbai, the G/Southward of BMC is a high-risk area. In this ward, Lower Parel, Worli and Prabhadevi reported 184 coronavirus positive cases while Byculla registered 64, Tardeo, Malabar Hill and Peddar road 53 cases while Andheri west has 46 coronavirus positive cases.