18 June,2020 07:20 AM IST | Mumbai | Ranjeet Jadhav
Women from Gorai village guard the three roads leading to it from 6 am to 11 pm
While the COVID-19 spread is increasing across the city, Gorai and its adjoining areas have so far seen very few cases. And the residents want to keep it that way. Women from villages in Gorai have started guarding the road leading to the village at three points and are not allowing any outsider to enter.
The three directions being manned are, Uttan to Gorai, Manori to Gorai and Borivli Jetty to Gorai. Every vehicle is checked for occupants and the reason for entering is being verified.
Social worker Godfrey Pimenta of the Watchdog Foundation said, "Gorai village has hardly any cases because residents are taking extra care and are more cautious. If you choose to go to the village now, you will be met with women guarding the roads."
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"A few days ago, I myself experienced this. My vehicle was stopped by a group of women. When I lowered my mask, they recognised me and let me enter as I have visited a relative. I have been told that the women guard the roads every day from 6 am to 11 pm in two-hour shifts," Pimenta said.
Local ward officer Bhagyashree Kapse confirmed that there have been zero COVID-19 cases in Gorai village.
Collective decision
Father Edward Jacinto from Gorai village told mid-day, "When the pandemic began in Mumbai and the lockdown hit, we had a meeting with around 1,500 families and decided that no one from the village shall go out and no one from outside shall enter until the issue is resolved.
"For this, 60 women from the village started working in shifts to stop outsiders from entering. Barricades have also been put up at important points."
There are 15,000 residents in Gorai village. Local farmers grow extra vegetables and sell them to community kitchens at cheaper rates so that people don't have to go out. The market in the village has been shifted to an open ground to ensure social distancing.
2 hrs
Duration of each shift
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