BMC helpline gets most calls for groceries

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s (BMC) Covid-19 helpline has got most number of calls from wards that house large slum pockets, with requests for groceries

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s (BMC) Covid-19 helpline has got most number of calls from wards that house large slum pockets, with requests for groceries or cooked food packets topping the list, the analysis of the data shows.

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The BMC on March 30 set up a Covid-19 helpline (1800221292) at the G-North ward in Dadar. The civic body received a total of 8,151 calls between March 30 and April 16, of which 7,992 calls requested cooked food or groceries. Moreover, 1,178 of these were repeat calls, where the same callers asked for food or groceries, on another day. Based on phone call requests, the BMC provided cooked food packets to 1,15,192 people and groceries to 85,189 people. The BMC has received only 12 calls requesting arrangements for stay and seven calls requesting transportation.

The highest number of cooked food packets were provided to the F-North ward, covering areas of Wadala and Matunga (45,524), followed by M-East ward (Govandi and Mankhurd) (16,943), then G-North ward, which has Dharavi (10,561). The highest number of grocery packets were delivered to the L ward which has areas of Kurla (15,113), followed by F-North ward (8,393), M-East ward (8,034), G-North ward (7,446), C ward that has areas of Marine lines and Charni Road (5,634).

These localities either have the highest number of containment zones, where no grocery stores are open or have low-income households.

A senior civic officer said, “These areas either low-income households, where people are employed in the unorganised sector and are not being paid regularly owing to the lockdown. They also have a need to save the money they can for now. In some cases, the areas are containment zones, and no one is allowed to go out even to buy essential items.”

He said, “The F North ward comprises not just of slum pockets, but is also remote and congested. It has a lot of containment zones. So we receive a lot of calls from this ward asking for food and groceries.”