Pune’s largest slum, Janata Vasahat, which was Covid-free now has 6 +ve cases in 2 days

Till last week, the locality with 60,000 population had reported just one positive case

Janata Vasahat, a slum spread on 2.5 km area on Sinhgad road in Pune had largely stayed away from the Covid-19 pandemic due to self-discipline and a canal that kept the slum population segregated.

The six positive cases reported in Janata Vasahat has cast a shadow on the slum which was emerging as an example of a success story for other slums in the city. The slum, located at Parvati, has a population of 60,000 people. (HT PHOTO)

Till the beginning of last week, this slum with a population of around 60,000 people had reported just one Covid-19 positive and the person had recovered and was discharged.

In the last two days however, six fresh cases have surfaced here, casting a shadow on this slum which was emerging as an example of a success story for others. In Pune, many other slums have seen a major spike in positive cases, posing a major challenge before civic authorities.

“There are a total of six cases reported from Janata Vasahat. We have sent a few more samples for testing and the reports are awaited,” said Chetan Kabade, Pune Municipal Corporation’s (PMC) ward officer from Sinhgad road.

Located between Parvati hill on one hand and a canal on the other, the slum does not have too many entry-exit points which restricted the movement of its habitants. This helped the PMC staff to implement social distancing.

According to civic officials, of the total positive cases in Pune, over 65 per cent cases have come from slums, mostly from Kashewadi slum in Bhavani Peth and Tadiwala road slum Dhole Patil road wards.

As of May 15, Pune had 174 deaths and 3,093 positive cases due to the Covid-19 disease.

While a number of slums were sealed by the civic body and declared as containment zones, Janata Vasahat, which is adjacent to Dandekar bridge, did not figure in the list of containment zones till Saturday.

However, with fresh cases, the PMC sealed the entry and exit points of the locality freezing public movement here. Most of the people living here had migrated from Marathwada and other parts of Maharashtra during the 1972 drought.

Pune municipal commissioner Shekhar Gaikwad said one reason why Janata Vasahat had largely remained free of Covid-19 till recently was the preventive measures adopted by the people. They did not come out in the open unnecessarily, avoided public toilets and there was no inter-mingling, he said.

With the help from the local doctors, PMC staff and the police, people at this slum managed to keep Covid-19 at bay, unlike other slums, he said.

With six cases from Janata Vasahat, the number of positive cases in Sinhgad road ward has risen to 23. It was Sinhgad road area which had reported Pune’s first Covid-19 case on March 10.