COVID-19: Washington Post praises Mumbai's Dharavi efforts

Mumbai: After the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) appreciation, now the Washington Post has also lauded the Dharavi-model that helps contain the spread of Coronavirus. The largest slum in the country saw rapid transmission of the deadly virus during the initial days of its outbreak.

The American daily newspaper has appreciated the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) for the way Dharavi has beaten back the virus against all odds. Earlier, it had also praised Mumbai’s data transparency vis-a-vis other major cities of India in the fight against Covid-19.

In the article titled ‘How a packed slum in Mumbai beat back the coronavirus, as India’s cases continue to soar,’ in its Friday (July 31) edition, the Washington Post has stated that Dharavi’s turnaround offers both lessons and promise for other dense neighbourhoods, particularly in parts of the developing world battling the pandemic.

“For Dharavi to turn a corner in the midst of this crisis is a noteworthy story of customized solutions, community involvement and perseverance,” said the newspaper.

Mumbai Municipal Commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal, who was entrusted by the Maharashtra government with the responsibility to curb the growing Covid-19 pandemic in Mumbai, hailed the civic officials for their efforts in containing the outbreak in Dharavi. “Team BMC resolves not to lower guard and never be complacent in fight against Covid-19,” he said.

According to the data, the first Covid-19 patient in Dharavi was found on April 1, nearly three weeks after Mumbai recorded its maiden positive case on March 11. But now Dharavi has only 72 active Covid-19 cases, while 2,235 patients have recovered and discharged from Covid-19 facilities. More than 85 per cent of patients in Dharavi have recovered so far.

Applauding the efforts, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus last month had said Dharavi has shown that even if the outbreak is very intense, it can still be brought back under control with sustained and dedicated efforts.

“A strong focus on community engagement and the basics of testing, tracing, isolating and treating all those that are sick is key to breaking the chains of transmission and suppressing the virus,” he had said.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray too lauded the efforts by saying Dharavi has become a global role model in the containment of coronavirus. It showed that coronavirus can be contained through self-discipline and community efforts.