Authority disinfects vehicles of staff providing essential services

The Noida authority Friday disinfected government vehicles being used by staffers providing essential services to people during the ongoing 21-day nationwide lockdown.

The authority has deployed at least 5,000 sanitation employees and around 200 senior officials to oversee delivery of vegetables, groceries, dairy products and medicines. The vehicles were disinfected to contain the spread of Covid-19 among staffers who are also engaged in distributing food to the homeless and people staying in shelters and taking care of waste management, water supply and other civic services.

“We are disinfecting all vehicles in order to contain the spread of Covid-19,” Ritu Maheshwari, chief executive officer, Noida authority, said.

The Noida authority has engaged at least 500 vehicles to ferry staffers. As on Thursday, Gautam Budh Nagar district has 50 cases of Covid-19. The major challenge before officials is to contain the spread of Covid-19 through the city’s densely populated villages. The health department has alerted the Noida and Greater Noida authorities to being extra cautious while sanitising public places in rural areas after confirmed cases were reported from several villages, including Chauda village in Nodia and Patwari, Ghodi Bachheda and Bishnuli villages in Greater Noida.

“Apart from disinfecting police stations, commercial areas and housing complexes, we have also started disinfecting 54 villages in Noida. We are mixing sodium hypochlorite in water and disinfecting banks, shops, community halls, roads and footpaths, among other spaces,” a Noida authority official looking after disinfecting drive, on condition of anonymity, said.

Similarly, the Greater Noida authority is also disinfecting public spaces in rural as well as urban areas.