Mumbai Covid-19 unlock: Pressure from traders, industry but BMC sticks to its guns

Shoppers throng Janjikar street near Crawford market last week. File pic

Despite pressure from commercial establishments, the BMC has decided to stick to its guns and play it safe with regard to reopening. In a circular issued on Sunday, it cited the third Covid-19 wave warning for not allowing Level 2 from Monday. The civic body kept the update a low-key affair as opposed to the unlock circulars it had published through official channels.

People at Marine Drive on Sunday. Pic/Ashish Raje

In the circular, the civic body underlined the warnings of the Covid task force and of experts on the third wave. It also pointed to the population density, geography of the city and the large number of people travelling on local trains. It had cited similar reasons last week too. Only a third point of the IMD's heavy rain warning has been replaced by the third wave warning.

While the rest of the cities in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) - Navi Mumbai, Thane, Kalyan-Dombivli - have been allowed to reopen as per Level 2 relaxations.

Mumbai's last week's test positivity rate is 3.79 per cent and the oxygen bed occupancy is 23.5 per cent. Technically, the city is eligible for Level 1 relaxations.

This will be the third week of unlocking after the second wave. In the first week, the TPR was above 5 per cent and in the second week, the TPR was 4.20 per cent.

There were rumours that the corporation may allow some reopenings which are a part of Level 2, as the pressure from commercial establishments and industrial units was building up. But the situation of reopening will remain as it is for the third week including not allowing women passengers on local trains, which is permitted under Level 3.

"We are closely monitoring the situation and if the number of cases goes down further, then we can think about some more relaxations in the next week. But, as of now, there are no relaxations for any section," said Suresh Kakani, additional municipal commissioner.

BMC workers during testing of arriving passengers at Dadar station last week

What is the logic?

"The BMC has mentioned the warning of the third wave. Will a third wave come only in Mumbai and not in neighbouring cities? We don't understand the logic behind it as the corporation only gives excuses. Last week, it was a weather warning and now it is the third wave," said Viren Shah, president of the Federation of Retail Traders Welfare Association (FRTWA).

In MMR, while Thane and Navi Mumbai have already been in Level 2, Kalyan-Dombivli is to get relaxation from Monday.

On the other hand, Vasai-Virar and Palghar district, which were in Level 2 this week, will down to Level 3 as the test positivity rate crossed 5 per cent.

Shops alone don't spread Covid-19

Even as the BMC stays firm on not reopening the city further, Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar on Sunday assured the FRTWA that he will speak to Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray about it. "People are going on trips to Lonavala and Pune but Mumbai's shops have to stay closed. Shops and restaurants are not the ones spreading Covid," Shah said.

"Pawar heard our problems and said he would speak to the CM to provide a remedy. If the CM orders, BMC will let us operate," Shah said.

Tarun Jain of Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT), said, "This is unfair to Mumbaikars. All neighbouring cities have got relief from curbs."

However, BMC chief Iqbal Singh Chahal told mid-day, "There is no scope of further relief in Mumbai."

- Inputs from Rohit Parikh

3.79%
Mumbai's TPR last week

23.5%
City's oxygen bed capacity