Kolkata: Bhowanipore, Alipore pockets may exit containment list

KOLKATA: The local police stations and ward coordinators, along with borough heads, have prepared a fresh list of possible containment zones in the city based on findings in the past 72 hours. KMC and police sources said while the containment zones might see a decrease in the Phoolbagan and Bhowanipore areas, a rising number of cases in areas near Garia and Maniktala may lead to new containment zones there.
The two biggest containment areas — Kankurgachhi-Phoolbagan-Beliaghata and Mukundapur-Patuli-Baghatin — contribute 21 of the 37 current containment zones. The one in the east has 11, the one in the south has 10.

“We hope there will be a decrease in the Phoolbagan zone. Cases in Kankurgachhi have also dipped,” said an officer. In Mukundapur and Patuli, the number of active cases is around 150. “We have good days, but then fresh cases are reported. We are concentrating on Baghajatin Place and Baisnabghata-Patuli Township on one side and the Mukundapur and Survey Park complexes on the other,” said a KMC official.
In Behala, which has three containment zones, Parnasree continues to report new cases even though it is now out of the containment zone list. But, the numbers reported per day have shown a slight decrease. Cases are, however, mounting in east Behala.
Containment zones in Alipore, Panditiya Road and a complex in Ballygunge have done well in containing the disease. KMC and cops hope at least two of these four containment zones can come out of the list.
There is also concern about the virus in large areas between Naktala and Kudghat. This belt has witnessed as many 40 cases in a month and a couple of patients with comorbidities succumbed in the past three weeks. However, there has been no containment zone in the 3km belt.
According to an official, the civic body is worried about a 500m stretch between Kalibari bridge and Kudghat bridge. “This is an area which, if not contained, may cause spread of the virus,” the official said. Another official said the KMC was following instructions from the state health department in declaring containment zones.