Mumbai: Dharavi reports fewer cases than Dadar, Mahim

Since the beginning of 2021 including the second wave of Covid-19 outbreak in Maharshtra that began mid-February, Dharavi has contributed 24.3% of Covid cases in its administrative ward area, which is considerably less than neighbouring areas of Dadar (36.5%) and Mahim (39.1%).

Since the beginning of 2021 including the second wave of Covid-19 outbreak in Maharshtra that began mid-February, Dharavi has contributed 24.3% of Covid cases in its administrative ward area, which is considerably less than neighbouring areas of Dadar (36.5%) and Mahim (39.1%). This year, Dharavi has reported a total of 2,220 cases till April 20, Dadar reported 3,341 cases, and Mahim 3,574 cases. Dharavi has contributed to 0.7% of Mumbai’s total cases reported during this time.

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In the beginning of the pandemic last year, Dharavi was a major hot spot of Covid-19 cases, with the highest single-day spike reported at 94 on April 8. G-North ward, with jurisdiction over these areas, has reported a total of 22,238 Covid-19 cases so far since the beginning of the pandemic, with a doubling rate of 59 days and growth rate of 1.22%. Dharavi has contributed 5,740 of these cases till April 20, with a doubling rate of 90 days and average growth rate of 0.89%. On the other hand, so far Dadar has reported a total of 8,016 cases, and Mahim 8,019.

The trend of Dadar and Mahim, characterised by residential buildings, reporting more cases than Dharavi is in line with the general trend seen during the second wave, where more number of cases are being reported from residential buildings than from slums and chawls. As of Wednesday, there are 114 containment zones in slums and chawls, and 1,198 sealed buildings across the city.

Kiran Dighavkar, assistant commissioner of G-North ward, said, “The overall trend of the second wave is seen in Dharavi as well. But in January and February, when we noticed cases in Dharavi were increasing even slightly, we immediately took stringent preventive measures to ensure a second outbreak is mitigated. We started mobile testing vans, fever clinics, tracing high-risk contacts. We were able to control the cases in Dharavi to an extent.”

On Wednesday, Dharavi reported 30 new Covid-19 cases. Presently, there are 930 active cases in Dharavi, 2,168 in Dadar, and 2,353 in Mahim. In G-North ward, beneficiaries have received a total of 8,715 vaccine doses, which includes first and second dose for some beneficiaries.