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How Asia's biggest slum contained the coronavirus

Source(s): British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)
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By Soutik Biswas

In one of the world's most congested shanty towns, social distancing is not a luxury people can afford. And density is a friend of the coronavirus.

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Municipal officials say they have traced, tracked, tested and isolated aggressively to halt the spread of infection. At the heart of this has been the screening effort, involving fever camps, doorstep initiatives and mobile vans. The early door-to-door screening by workers in sweltering personal protective gear was not sustainable when the weather turned hot and muggy.

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The slum is home to thriving leather, pottery, and textile stitching businesses. It has 5,000 small factories which pay taxes and some 15,000 single-room workshops. It is also Mumbai's main hub of plastic recycling.

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How long can the slum remain in a lockdown mode to contain future waves of infection? How long can non-profits continue to help as they start to run out of resources in what promises to be a long and weary battle?

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Hazards Epidemic and Pandemic
Themes Community-based DRR Governance Inclusion
Country and region India
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