MUMBAI'S TICKING TIME BOMB

The island city’s most densely packed habitation is now a COVID-19 hotspot. Why Dharavi’s lack of social distancing is cause for serious concern

- KIRAN D. TARE

Swathed in personal protection gear, a mask on the face and temperature gun in hand, Dr Deepali Patil had an unusually hostile reception when she visited a chawl in Dharavi. A pregnant lady displaying flu-like symptoms refused to be screened. She initially screamed at the doctor, asking her to go away, but later relented after some cajoling. Fortunately, she was found to be free of COVID-19 symptoms. Dr Patil, a private medical practitioner, is one of 10 teams, each led by a doctor, a nurse and two officials of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), dispatched by the municipal body to go door-to-door looking for coronavirus positive patients in Dharavi.

Asia’s largest slum is on the edge these days and health workers, especially, are viewed with fear and suspicion. Millions live here in 8 foot by 10-foot brick shanties which open into sewers and narrow lanes. Some 189 people have tested positive here for COVID-19 in the past 16 days. Twelve people have died. If Mumbai, with close to 3,500 cases, is the epicenter of COVID-19 in Maharashtra, then Dharavi is at the core of the problem. It has the highest number of infections in the city’s smallest geographical knot—a 2.1 sq. km. irregular pentagon in the heart of Mumbai.