Warehouses must adhere to guidelines in Bhiwandi: Thane collector

With 1,600 people testing positive and 49 deaths in Bhiwandi, mostly in areas where godowns are located, the Thane district collector on Saturday said all warehouse

With 1,600 people testing positive and 49 deaths in Bhiwandi, mostly in areas where godowns are located, the Thane district collector on Saturday said all warehouse owners would face stringent action if they fail to adhere to safety precautions.

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District collector Rajesh Narvekar has permitted only warehouses which are providing essential services to remain operational.

Narvekar held a meeting with Bhiwandi godown owners on Saturday.

In view of the increasing number of Covid-19 cases in Bhiwandi, the collector said, “We have asked godowns to remain open only for essential services. The owners have to ensure that social distancing is maintained.”

“Temperature and blood-oxygen level of all employees need to be tested through the day. Sanitisers should be kept in the godown and wearing masks must be made mandatory at work,” he said.

“Around five lakh labourers working in these godowns travel from different areas of Bhiwandi, Kalyan, Shahapur, Thane and Mumbai; some come from rural areas as well. Hence, the chances of them contracting the virus are higher,” said Hiralal Chedda, a godown owner.