Increased vigil in Maharashtra's Dharavi after 19 Covid-19 cases reported in two days

With 19 coronavirus cases reported in the last two days in Dharavi, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has increased their vigil in Asia’s biggest slum pocket.

Spread over 2.1 sq kms, Dharavi is a sort of mini-India, with over 7 to 10 lakh people staying and working there.

However, several of them have migrated back to their hometown waiting for businesses to start in full swing.

Till Thursday, Dharavi has reported a total of 4,050 progressive coronavirus cases.

As of now, there are 37 active Covid-19 cases in Dharavi, according to the BMC.

The first Covid-19 positive case and death in Dharavi was reported on April 1, 2020, when a 56-year-old man died.

Throughout the April and first fortnight of May, the coronavirus cases zoomed but then it was brought down in the June-July period.

In Dharavi, the BMC had adopted the 4Ts strategy - Tracing-Tracking-Testing-Treating as part of the ‘Chase the Virus’ initiative to break the cycle.

The strategy to contain Covid-19 outbreak there came to be known as the 'Dharavi model' and also earned the praise of the World Health Organisation and the World Bank.

The 'Dharavi model' of fighting Covid-19 is being replicated in Mumbai's suburbs of Malad, Kandivli, Borivali and Dahisar on the Western line and Mulund and Bhandup on the Central line, and elsewhere in Maharashtra.

On December 25, for the first time, Dharavi reported zero Covid-19 cases and then subsequently on 22, 26, 27 and 21 January and February 2.

The slum is sandwiched between the Central and Western suburban train lines in Mumbai , and the movement of people is high.