BHUBANESWAR: As Bhubaneswar reports a spike in local coronavirus cases, inadequate tracking and isolation in the slums apart from addressing key issues of shared amenities has left the residents in a tizzy.
So far, Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) has declared Laxmi Bazar and Subash Nagar slums as containment zones while quarantining families in Salia Sahi, Hadabai, Balatotasahi and other slums following detection of Covid cases.
This, however, has not been of much help as the cases continue to rise in the slums and squatter settlements across the city in absence of proper monitoring.
In Balatotasahi slum where four cases have been detected, a former corporator pointed out that a Ganjam returnee went to a Government hospital for Covid test but was asked to go back after collection of swab sample.
“He was not given any specific instruction about home quarantine and went on to live with his relatives. The person tested positive two days later. By the time the report came in, he had infected his kin,” he said and added that had there been strict isolation measures in place, spread of the infection could have been checked.
In Laxmi Bazar slum where at least 12 cases have been reported so far, the disease spread in the absence of a proper mechanism to track returnees who came home late in the night.
Many of the slum dwellers go out to work in other areas which raise apprehension of rising contacts. In Samantarapur, a father and his son tested positive for the virus on Monday.
The BMC has maintained a mum on how the son got the infection but there is resentment that volunteers and service providers despite dealing with Covid suspects at such facilities are not being provided PPE kits. Besides, slum dwellers use common bathrooms, community toilets and water ATMs.
In Laxmi Bazar, there is a water body which is shared for bathing purposes and so are water points.
“After the land near airport was vacated, some slum dwellers were shifted to Pandakudia. Even if there is risk of contraction of the virus, they are forced to use water ATMs and common toilets in the absence of piped water supply and personal toilet,” said a peer leader of Bhubaneswar Smart City Limited residing in the slum area.
SK Nizamuddin, former corporator of Ward 29, said several suggestions given to the BMC are yet to be adopted to tackle the situation.
In many cases, he said, tests are getting delayed though prompt measures are required to conduct Covid test of persons with different symptoms within 24 hours besides ensuring isolation.
He said as cases are increasing in slums, institutional quarantine of returnees shouldn’t be limited to only five districts.
The former corporators say institutional quarantine facility in all 67 wards for immediate isolation of persons coming from outside, especially from the Covid hotspot areas must be established.
The BMC officials, however, continue to remain tight-lipped on these issues.