EDMC steps up measures to contain infection at corona hot spot Dilshad Garden

New Delhi: The East Delhi Municipal Corporation on Tuesday deployed two 9,000-litre tankers of disinfectant and over 100 workers to disinfect Dilshad Garden, one

New Delhi: The East Delhi Municipal Corporation on Tuesday deployed two 9,000-litre tankers of disinfectant and over 100 workers to disinfect Dilshad Garden, one of the 10 Covid-19 hotspots in the country. The moves come after the corporation began intensifying its operations in Dilshad Garden and nearby Babarpur, where a mohalla clinic doctor had tested positive for the disease on March 25.

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There have so far been six confirmed cases of the severely contagious Covid-19 in Dilshad Garden — a 38-year-old woman, two of her relatives, a mohalla clinic doctor posted in the area who was diagnosed on March 21, his wife (the mohalla clinic doctor at Babarpur) and their daughter.

The east civic agency on Monday received a list of nearly 1,000 people who come in close contact with the mohalla clinic doctor at Dilshad Garden.

“We have got the list of the people and their phone numbers, but don’t know where they stay, yet. We are calling them to find out their location and have requested the Delhi government to provide locations of the area. As for Babarpur, we have got the mohalla clinic and the neighbouring areas disinfected,” said Ranen Kumar, deputy commissioner for Shahdara North zone, EDMC.

A senior Delhi government official said, “We have provided the details to the civic agency. The list was shared a few days back.”

Of the 97 Covid-19 cases reported in the national capital so far, 13 are from East Delhi — Six in Shahdara North and seven in Shahdara South zone of the EDMC.

While all the six cases in Shahdara North are from Dilshad Garden, the seven cases in Shahdara South are from Anand Vihar, Shyam Enclave and Bahubali Enclave in Karkardooma, Kalyanpuri, Khichripur, Vasundhara and Mayur Vihar.

To contain the spread of the coronavirus disease, the EDMC has identified around 1,600 flats, most of which are in J, K, L and R blocks of Dilshad Garden.

Kumar said, “We are spraying disinfectant, and spreading awareness everywhere, but with a focus on these blocks in Dilshad Garden where the 38-year-old woman and her doctor and their respective families live.”

The woman, who returned from Umrah, a pilgrimage to Mecca — tested positive for Covid-19 on March 18.

The civic body said they are spraying disinfectant everywhere — roads, lanes, alleys and walkways. Kumar added, “We have earmarked around 1,600 flats here over an area of about 1.5 square kilometres, and are extensively spraying sodium hypochlorite, a sanitising solution. Not only are we spraying it on cars, building walls, but the colony park as well. Dust suppressants used during peak winter air pollution have also been deployed here now,” he said.

The civic agency has pressed into service 17 tankers of 9,000-litre capacity across east Delhi to spray the disinfectant twice a day. A senior EDMC official said, “We will increase the number of tankers to 40 over the next few days.”

The civic body is carrying out an awareness drive, informing people about the symptoms of Covid-19 and asking people to report if anyone has these symptoms.

Around 100 domestic breeding checkers (DBCs) have been deployed, who are going to the 1,600 flats and asking residents if anybody has developed symptoms.

Arun Kumar, spokesperson, EDMC, “Munaadi, a traditional method of creating awareness through drum rolls and loudspeakers conveying messages is also being used.”

The first coronavirus positive patient from Delhi, known as “patient zero”, was from Mayur Vihar Phase 2, and has recovered now.

With Dilshad Garden as a hotspot, EDMC commissioner Dilraj Kaur said the agency is following all the instructions given by the union ministry of health and family welfare and the Delhi government. “Special arrangements for garbage collection have been made here for quarantined homes. This garbage is not being mixed with the rest, and is directly sent for incineration,” she said.