Lower Parel ward office gets foot-operated lift buttons, UV box disinfectant to fight Covid

The G (South) ward office in Lower Parel has devised innovative ways to ensure the safety of its employees and visitors during the Covid-19 outbreak.

The G (South) ward office in Lower Parel has devised innovative ways to ensure the safety of its employees and visitors during the Covid-19 outbreak.

Cabins in the ward have been covered with transparent acrylic sheets. (HT Photo)

The ward has installed foot-operated devices to operate elevators, water dispensers, washbasins and toilet flushes to minimise virus transmission from these surfaces. In addition to the foot-operated devices, the officials’ cabins in the ward have been covered with transparent acrylic sheets that act as a shield to prevent the possible transmission of Covid-19. To sanitise handbags and documents brought to the office, there is an ultraviolet (UV) rod and UV box disinfectant. The ward has also installed automatic disinfectants in five public toilets in Worli, which disinfect the toilets at regular intervals.

These innovative ideas have been implemented on a pilot basis in the ward, which has jurisdiction over Worli, Prabhadevi and Lower Parel. Sharad Ughade, assistant municipal commissioner of G (South) ward, said, “These ideas were pitched by our civic engineers and other officials in one of the brainstorming sessions that we keep conducting in our office. The idea was to ensure minimal physical or direct contact with the staff and at the same time, ensuring protection for individuals who visit the office.”

Most of these devices were introduced using corporate social responsibility (CSR) funds and the remaining were from funds allocated to the ward.

Ughade said as a pilot, these methods have been proven successful and will be implemented across the ward. “We are trying our best to make these methods cost-effective. Otherwise, there will be difficulty in implementing them. Further, we are ensuring that there is minimal file movement physically and sanitisation of the same. The automatic disinfectant in toilets will be implemented in public and community toilets across the ward.”