Residents oppose Mundhe’s plan for Covid hospital in KT Nagar

Nagpur: Several residents of Rachna Shrusti and Rachna Vishwa apartments at KT Nagar on Sunday hit the streets amid lockdown to protest Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) chief Tukaram Mundhe’s plan to open a dedicated Covid-19 hospital and isolation centre adjoining their premises.
Construction of the hospital has also started at the site despite the protest.
It’s learnt, NMC has started converting a dispensary into an outdoor patient department (OPD). Another adjoining building earmarked for mall will be modified and readied as a dedicated Covid-19 hospital. The two buildings would be connected with a ramp.
Maya Mukherjee, resident of Rachna Shrusti, said, “The two apartment buildings have number of senior citizens, pregnant women and children. If a Covid-19 hospital is brought up in our vicinity then it would play havoc with the health of local residents.”
“If we talk about co-morbidities and such concepts, then how can the civic body jeopardize lives of so many vulnerable citizens,” she asked.
The protest got a major boost after getting support from Congress MLA Vikas Thakre who warned of launching an agitation if the plan is not aborted. Thakre, along with local congress corporator Harish Gwalbanshi, raised slogans against Mundhe who allegedly ignored apprehensions of local residents. Thakre termed it as an arbitrary decision by Mundhe.
“There was an office of the slum rehabilitation authority in the building where the NMC plans to open the Covid-19 hospital. It is dangerous for health and well-being of so many people. At least 5,000 people are planning to barge into the NMC office and also chamber of Mundhe if the decision is not reversed,” Thakre said