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Ghaziabad proposes Haj House as 1,200-bed Covid care centre
In order to deal with rising number of cases, the Ghaziabad district administration has sent a proposal to the state government for converting the Haj House, located
In order to deal with rising number of cases, the Ghaziabad district administration has sent a proposal to the state government for converting the Haj House, located adjacent to GT Road on the banks of river Hindon, into a Covid care centre with 1,200 beds.
The officials said the facility is proposed to be converted to a L1 category hospital for about 1,200 non-critical patients. Due to rise in number of Covid-19 cases, the health department has opened L1 category hospitals in Niwari and Modinagar and planning to open two more. However, none of the hospitals has more than 400 beds and there is a need to have more facilities as cases in July are being reported at an average of 114 a day.
“Due to a rise in the number of Covid-19 patients, we have decided to convert the Haj House into a Covid care centre for asymptomatic patients. We have proposed 1,200 beds and all other infrastructure will be arranged soon. A proposal has also been sent to the state officials. I have directed the municipal commissioner to make the arrangements,” said Ajay Shankar Pandey, district magistrate, Ghaziabad.
Earlier in March, there were plans to use the Haj House as an isolation facility but no formal proposal was sent to the government.
“The building is located away from city limits and also has a boundary enclosed space. Apart from the officials of the municipal corporation, I have also directed the officials of the minority department, electrical safety department and officials of the UP Jal Nigam to ensure that all facilities are in place within 10 days,” Pandey said.
The Haj House had been marred in controversy since its inauguration in 2016 and could not be made operational as activists moved the National Green Tribunal seeking its demolition saying that it was located in the floodplains of river Hindon.
On February 6, 2018, the NGT had dismissed the petition saying that the facility cannot be demolished as it does not fall in the flood plain zone. However, the tribunal directed its sealing in the absence of a specific capacity sewage treatment plant (STP).
The tribunal had further directed the UP Haj Committee to ensure that there is STP to treat the domestic effluent of 136 KLD (kilolitres per day) installed and commissioned at the site as per the requirement of the UP pollution control board (UPPCB). The STP was installed and made operational as per directions.
“All the legal issues are now resolved and the facility can be opened up,” Pandey added.
Dinesh Chandra, municipal commissioner said that the corporation will soon take up all arrangements.
“The basic arrangements will be taken up at the earliest. Since, this will be a big Covid-19 facility, we will require additional funds for putting in the required infrastructure. We will seek some funds from the district magistrate,” Chandra said.
The district administration of Lucknow have also decided to convert the Maulana Ali Miyan Memorial Haj House on Kanpur Road in Sarojini Nagar area, into a Covid-19 care unit. Lucknow’s district magistrate Abhishek Prakash, who inspected the Haj House on Wednesday, said the decision had been taken in view of the rise in the number of asymptomatic Covid-19 patients.
