Mumbai: Against all odds, Govandi-Mankhurd keep Covid-19 cases low

In Govandi and Mankhurd, residents have scant regard for Covid-19 guidelines and do not seem too bothered by the pandemic. Pics/Rajesh Gupta

The M-east ward comprising Govandi and Mankhurd has emerged as an outlier during the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic. Despite apparent brazen disregard for lockdown norms shown by countless residents in the area, the city's most populous and slum-dominated ward has been reporting fewer cases than any other area in Mumbai. BMC officials have attributed the positive trend to rigorous contact tracing against all odds. Also, most cases here are from high-rises.

Most people here believe officials are only harassing the poor under the pretext of rules, said a local

Most of the markets and shops remain open all day, sometimes even in the presence of police, in Govandi and Mankhurd and people can be seen roaming about freely without masks. While 80 per cent of the population here lives in shanties in a maze of narrow lanes, most cases have been reported from high-rises.

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M-East ward officials said rigorous contact tracing has helped them arrest the spread. "The first wave mantra is being followed this time, too. We had 15 contact tracing units in the ward this time and they have been tracing at least 17 people behind one positive case. Wherever required, the person was taken to isolation centres or has been told to home-quarantine. Where symptoms develop, the person was provided medication or taken to the hospital," said Dhanaji Herlekar, assistant commissioner of the ward.

He said enforcing the curbs is a huge challenge as locals often get into scuffles with BMC officials who are forced to seek police help. "Non-cooperation by citizens is a problem here but our war room is working hard to bring down the cases. During the peak of the second wave, we saw an average of 300 cases a day which have now reduced to 30." Herlekar added.

‘Mass mentality to resist lockdown measures'

Faiyaz Alam Sheikh, a social activist from Govandi, said the lockdown-like measures have made life tough for the locals. "People who live in slums are mainly daily wagers and the middle class who are dependent on small businesses they run. As there is no help from the government, I am not surprised that the shops here are open and people are seen roaming in markets. Obviously, they are working for survival. As far as masks are concerned, it has become people's mentality to resist rules," he said.

Rehman Sheikh, another Govandi resident, offered a different explanation for so many people flouting rules. "The majority of the people believe that there is no pandemic. They feel the authorities are harassing only the poor and hence they are not following any guidelines. They shut their shops only when cops are patrolling. Once police vehicles move on, they open their shops again."

With a population of about 9.5 lakh, the ward has seen active cases dropping to 1,152 with a doubling rate of 281 days, one of the highest in the city. Active cases in slum areas remain 389.

The ward has eight vaccination centres and 83,340 people have been vaccinated so far. Since the start of the pandemic last year, it has recorded about 550 Covid-19 related deaths.