21 July,2020 07:52 AM IST | Mumbai | Shailesh Bhatia
A narrow road leading to Pimpaloli village was barricaded to seal it
Just as they were recovering from the impact of Cyclone Nisarga which damaged over 80 per cent homes, uprooted trees and knocked down 30 electric poles leaving them in darkness for over a month, a village called Pimpaloli, very close to Lonavala, is facing another crisis. A 31-year-old resident tested positive for COVID-19 and so the village was sealed.
Residents said that a month ago, getting the roofs over their heads fixed was a priority, but today having an ample stock of sanitisers, masks, PPE kits, immunity boosters like Vitamin C, etc. was the need of the hour. There are over 1,000 residents in the village.
'Lives at a standstill'
"The narrow road leading to our village was sealed on July 18 and the neighbouring area was declared a Red Zone, bringing our lives to a standstill once again," said Bhagwan Bomble, a resident.
Dr Shankar Ramdas Jagtap, an official from the Health Department, who is in charge of seven villages, said that things are under control and ample steps were taken on a war footing. "The patient is currently recuperating in a Lonavala hospital and we are regularly testing others, to ensure that the infection does not spread," he said.
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Hardships compounded
Village Development Officer Nutan Raosheb Amolik said that restoring electricity was in itself a big challenge and workers did over 12-hour shifts to set up the poles and change the wiring, which had corroded over the years incurring a cost of Rs 25 lakh.
"But now we have a new challenge, which is adding to the hardship of the villagers. The entire village has been sealed till July 25 and is being regularly sanitised. The residents have been informed that if anyone breaks the quarantine rules, they will be liable to face legal action. Yesterday during thermal screening, a senior family member of the patient was diagnosed with fever and has been taken to the hospital for further check up. The lab results are awaited," she said.
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