Awareness, checking drives after Covid cases in MIDC

Nagpur: Two women workers of one family at a pharma unit at MIDC Hingna did not inform the management when a kin tested positive for Covid-19. They were tracked to work by NMC’s contact tracing campaign, and eight workers of the unit were found to have been infected by Covid.
Industrialists now admit there has been laxity at some units in following the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) laid down to prevent infections. After the pharma unit was sealed by authorities, a meeting of industry associations was held by district collector Ravindra Thakre.
Squads have been formed to conduct surprise checks in the factories. Even as the association leaders have decided to start an awareness drive, it is also being accepted that safety guidelines were not being followed.
“It is true that in some units Covid distancing is not maintained on the shop floor and even office areas. This can be a potential source of infection spreading,” said a source in Butibori MIDC. “It has been seen that distance could not be maintained in units where the manufacturing process includes manual packaging of the end product. There are units where the workers engaged in packaging — like those in pharmaceutical industry — sit along a long table in proximity,” said an industrialist requesting anonymity.
There have been lapses in sanitizing the area and equipment too in some of the units, said sources.
Sources who attended the meeting with the collector said over a dozen workers were sitting at the same table in the pharma unit where Covid positive workers were found. Workers who tested positive were also working in packaging.
A source in the company said, on condition of anonymity, that it began with two women of a family working in the unit. Their kin had got infected but they did not inform the management, and were themselves asymptomatic.Later, as a part of its tracking exercise, NMC officials reached the factory and found that other workers too had got Covid.
The source said even as Covid distance was maintained, the workers keep moving about and strict compliance cannot be ensured all the time. The sources said distancing norms could be verified from CCTV records.
Nitin Lonkar, president of Butibori Manufacturers’ Association (BMA), said the association now plans to circulate the SOPs among industries once again, and see to it that compliance is ensured.
Chandrashekhar Shegaonkar, of MIDC Industries Association (MIA) at Hingna, said except a handful units all companies have been following the safety mandate. The association will once again be carrying out awareness drives, he said.
“We are open to inspection by authorities. In fact, industries which had pressed for starting operations should also see to it that safety measures are followed or a ban may be imposed again,” said Suresh Rathi, president of Vidarbha Industries Association (VIA), who was also present at the meeting with the collector.