COVID-19: CISF troops to be deployed in severely affected Mumbai zones

Picture/Suresh KK

In the wake of the rising toll of Coronavirus cases, troops of the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) arrived in Mumbai on Wednesday morning. The Central paramilitary forces will be deployed in several areas of Mumbai to assist the local police in the on-going battle against coronavirus.

Around 100 personnel arrived in the city and they have been stationed at the campus of the SDNT College in Churchgate. The personnel will be deployed in congested areas such as Bhendi Bazar, Pydhonie, Masjid Bandar, Azad Maidan, Jogeshwari and Dharavi where social distancing norms have not been properly followed and constant violation of the lockdown is reported.

The security personnel will do patrolling, including conducting flag marches to take charge of the areas.

Earlier this month, chief minister Uddhav Thackeray in one of his addresses to the state said that he has requested for additional 'manpower' from the Centre to relieve the state police in a phased manner. "Police personnel are tired after working round-the-clock, some have fallen sick and a few of them have succumbed to the virus. They need rest," Thackeray said.

Nine companies from the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) including four from the Rapid Action Force, two from the Central Reserve Police Force, and three from the Central Industrial Security Force have arrived in the city.

On Tuesday, five companies of the Central Armed Police Forces reached Mumbai to help the city police during the fourth phase of the COVID-19 lockdown, an official told PTI. The personnel from the companies will be deployed in severely affected areas such as Dharavi in central Mumbai as per requirement, the official said.

More than 1,100 police personnel have contracted COVID-19 in the state, of which 12, including an officer, have succumbed to the pandemic so far.

(With inputs from Suresh KK, PTI)

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