IANS

Mumbai

The police and health authorities have tightened the lockdown in  Dharavi, Asia’s biggest slum amid growing fears of coronavirus spreading here, officials said on  Thursday.

 At least 10 localities in the 2.25 sq. km area have been red-flagged and all movement of people  stopped, all shops and establishments, fruit/vegetable markets or vendors, hawkers, etc, have  been shut down, barring pharmacies.

To minimise people’s unrest in the area, the BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation, plans  to come up with a scheme for doorstep delivery of essentials shortly.

Education Minister Varsha Gaikwad, who represents Dharavi constituency, along with Health  Minister Rajesh Tope visited hospitals and quarantine centres in her constituency on Wednesday  for a spot assessment of the situation.

 “We have requested state Home Minister Anil Deshmukh to direct the police to strictly enforce  lockdown in this area to prevent the spread of coronavirus. We have also requested the  government to provide more ventilators for the hospitals here, speed up test reports for those in  quarantine as more and more people keep coming here daily,” Gaikwad told media persons after  the cabinet meeting on Thursday.

Dharavi – the most congested place on the planet — has over 200,000 families living and working  here, besides more than 20,000 big and small businesses generating revenues of an estimated Rs  7,000 crore annually.

Considered a ticking time-bomb in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, Dharavi has recorded  two deaths and at least another 13 positive patients till date, sparking alarm among the civic and  state health authorities struggling to contain the further spread of the coronavirus in Mumbai and  rest of Maharashtra. Despite the obvious risks, most people in Dharavi seem oblivious of the invisible dangers around  them and continue to move around in a carefree manner, with all social distancing norms thrown  to the winds.